Suprising Conclusion
by kam6670
Summary: I wasn't going to continue...and then I saw this picture and an idea sprang to mind. Gibbs is turning 60 and is given an offer that can change his life..again.. is it time? Many surprises in this story. As I write it, things pop up to help me tie up loose ends. Even suprise you with Senior.
1. Chapter 1

Gibbs sat at his desk looking down at the drawing Franklin had made for him. Of course Gibbs thought his three year old son was amazingly talented and could tell the picture was of Franklin, Maggie, Gibbs, Freckles and Jamie and a birthday cake flying over their heads. Maggie had labeled the stick figures with "Mommy"; "Daddy", "Me", "Freckles" and "Jamie". And over the birthday cake it said "Happy Birthday Daddy."

Gibbs had found it next to his coffee mug when he got up that morning. Today he was turning 60. He chuckled to himself. The grey hair always threw people off. If he told anyone it was his birthday, they'd have assumed 70. But they were wrong. Gibbs went grey young just like his father had. Of course when he'd be out and about with Franklin, people thought he was the Grandfather. Gibbs was okay with it. He'd gust grin and Franklin would correct them. "That's my Daddy. Not Grampy Jack."

"Aww…did Franklin make that for you?"

Gibbs looked up to see Abby standing in front of him. "Yup." He said as Abby took the picture from him.

"My Godson is an artist" Abby smiled broadly.

"You do have enough of his work down in the lab." Gibbs took the picture back and hung it on his cubicle wall next to other pictures he'd hung over the years.

"I'm a proud 'Auntie' and he's just the best." Abby told him. "Now are you and Maggie still on for tonight?"

Gibbs nodded. Turning 60 wasn't going to involve a big party or anything like that. Gibbs just wanted to celebrate with Maggie. So Abby was going to babysit while he and Maggie went out to eat. "You'll be there at 6?"

"Leave everything to me. I'll take care of bath time, story time and bed time. You two go out and have fun."

"You're the best Abs." Gibbs told her.

Gibbs looked back at the picture and thought about the past three years. He'd missed a lot of Kelly's early years doing to being deployed. Maggie had been a pro at the whole scheduling thing when Franklin was a baby. They had a system where Gibbs took the earliest feedings in the mornings and Maggie to the latest ones at night. Gibbs had taken two weeks' vacation when Maggie and the baby first came home. Because Maggie had the C-section, she couldn't do any kind of lifting, not even of Franklin out of his cradle. Gibbs loved sitting in the rocking chair and holding Franklin or watching him sleep in the cradle.

When Gibbs had been home two weeks, he posed the question to Maggie about taking a longer break from work.

"I have the time built up." He told her as Maggie finished getting ready for bed.

Maggie slipped in next to Gibbs and snuggled into his shoulder.

"You have to go back Monday."

"Why?"

"Gibbs, when Tony came by for dinner last night and you two were talking shop, I could see it in your eyes. The wheels turning."

"Tony's doing fine in my place. He did it before when I retired."

"A- you didn't retire, you were on a margarita safari Tony said."

"I was not…" Gibbs cut in.

"And B –" Maggie lifted up on her elbow so she could look at Gibbs in the eyes. "I can't take having you home 24/7 right now."

"What?" Gibbs look offended. "Why?"

Maggie traced her forefinger over Gibbs' stubble covered chin. "I can't have sex for another month until I get the okay from the doctor and watching you with the baby, unshaven and looking sexy as hell to me is doing me in."

Gibbs began to smile.

"I need a break from looking at you all day. I just had a baby, I look like crap and I want to do things to you that I can't yet."

Gibbs pushed Maggie back onto the bed and leaned up over her.

"A – you don't look like crap; you don't even look like you had a baby." Gibbs gave her a kiss. "And B- I know exactly how long it's been since we had sex and how long it is until we can again. And believe me, you better be rested up for that night."

Gibbs did go back to work that following Monday and kept his word. When the doctor gave Maggie the all's clear sign; they were both a little tired and distracted the next day from the night before activities. And Gibbs did miss the work, but now, unless there was no other choice, the team was home at a normal hour. Gibbs loved coming home to see Franklin sitting in his bouncy chair tracking everything with his eyes. Franklin especially loved watching Freckles and the feeling was mutual. One night Maggie went into the baby's room and found Freckles bed lying in the middle of Franklin's room.

"Hey Gibbs."

"In here." Gibbs called from the bedroom, where he was sitting in the middle of the bed changing Franklin's diaper.

"Did you move the dog bed up into the baby's room?"

"Nope."

"Hmm. I didn't either, how'd it get there?"

Freckles; who was sitting on the floor looked up at Maggie and then back to Gibbs.

"You don't think…" Maggie looked at the dog. "Nah, she wouldn't have dragged it all the way up here?"

Gibbs knew that Freckles was always close by to the baby, watching over him.

"Put the bed in the hallway and let's see what she does."

Maggie took Freckle's bed and put it in the hall and then went back into their bedroom with Gibbs and the baby. After a minute Freckles went out into the hall. Maggie snuck over to the door and watched as Freckles dragged her dog bed back into Franklin's room.

"I'll be damned." Maggie whispered.

Gibbs picked up the baby and kissed him on the forehead. "Looks like you have a new roommate."

Maggie loved being home with Franklin. Whenever the day was nice, they were outside enjoying the day. Gibbs took another week off over 4th of July to go down to Stillwell and bring Franklin down to where his Grandfather could show him off.

"Would you ever want to live here again?" Maggie asked Gibbs as they sat on a blanket in the park, Franklin sitting with Jackson having all the older ladies coo over both of them.

"Nah." Gibbs shook his head.

"Shannon?" Maggie asked. Maggie was comfortable with talking about her and Gibbs was okay with talking and asking about James; especially with Jamie.

"No. I want Franklin growing up in a bigger place, bigger city. More family around up there."

Gibbs was amazed at the amount of gifts Franklin got for his birthday. "He's only one. He doesn't know how to ride a tricycle yet."

"But he will before you know it and every little boy needs a Red Rider Tricycle." Ducky told him of his gift.

And before Gibbs knew it he was changing the baby proofing of the house from a crawling infant to a walking toddler. Gates went up at the bottom and tops of the stairs; the lock on the toilet door was frustrating to Gibbs at first, until Franklin tossed his cell phone into the toilet.

"You should upgrade to a smart phone." Mike the IT guy at work told him. "I can put baby insurance on it."

Gibbs just stared at Mike; who handed Gibbs the reliable flip phone and walked away.

"Do not let him get to you. He just likes what he likes." Ziva commented as Mike walked by.

"Yeah well DiNozzo's stash is long gone. Now I have to hunt e-bay to find that damned phone. Someone needs to bring him closer to this century." Mike commented back.

Now here Gibbs sat; 60 years old, a father of a 3 year old, step father of a 28 year old Marine and married for 4 years now. His longest marriage since Shannon. He looked around the bullpen. Ziva was out in the field with McGee. Tony was up in MTAC. Ducky had retired last year and Palmer was now in charge of Autopsy.

"Thinking about my offer?"

Gibbs looked up to see the SecNav standing in front of his desk.

"Maybe it is time Sir." Gibbs stood up. "I need a few more days to think about it."


	2. Chapter 2

"Auntie Abby here! Auntie Abby here!" Franklin ran into the kitchen yelling happily as he saw Abby's red car pull up in front of the house.

"Well go open the door for her." Gibbs smiled at his son.

"Can't reach da handle." Franklin told his father. "Help."

"Help what?" Gibbs let his son take his hand and lead him to the door.

"Pweeze."

Gibbs helped Franklin open the door to let Abby in. Franklin launched himself into Abby's arms.

"Auntie Abby!"

"How's my favorite little man?" Abby asked as she carried Franklin into the kitchen. Franklin proceeded to tell Abby about his new friend and his first days at pre-school.

"Can we draw pictures later?" Franklin wanted to know.

"You have to eat dinner and take a bath then you can draw." Gibbs rubbed his son's head.

"Draw first." Franklin scrunched up his little face and stared at his father.

Abby watched the standoff trying not to smile. Franklin stood feet apart, hands on hips staring up at his father. Gibbs copied the stance and two pairs of blue eyes stared at each other. Gibbs made the same face his son was making and Franklin started to smile. Gibbs smiled back and picked his son up.

"Dinner, draw then bath." Gibbs leaned his forehead down to Franklin who put his small hands on his father's cheeks and gave him a kiss.

"Tank you Daddy."

Gibbs gave Franklin a bear hug and put him back down on the ground as Maggie was coming into the kitchen.

"Wow, you look hot." Abby complimented Maggie who had on jeans tucked into high heeled brown boots, a grey sweater and purple scarf.

"I agree." Gibbs stared at his wife. She had cut her hair a little bit shorter recently, but it still reached her shoulders and he loved when she wore it down like she did tonight. "I may have to go change."

Maggie teased Gibbs by making a face at him as she looked over what he had on. He had on a pair of jeans, a dark grey v-neck sweater with his white tee shirt under that.

"You look fine Gibbs. Now, have you decided where you want to go?" Maggie wanted to know.

"Yup." He answered and clipped his cell phone on his belt and took his keys. "Call me if you need us." Gibbs kissed Abby on the cheek. "And don't let Franklin con you into an extra story."

"Awe come on Gibbs, he loves when I read him stories." Abby protested.

"Only one extra." Gibbs gave in.

"Dinner is in the oven, it should be ready in about 30 minutes." Maggie told Abby. "Take the left overs home. I made extra." Maggie made homemade mac and cheese which was Franklin and Abby's favorite.

"Mags, you're too good to me." Abby said as she followed them to the door. "Now stay out late, have fun."

"Your wife must really love you if this is your idea of a romantic dinner." The waitress who served Gibbs his morning coffee told him. "If you were my husband; you'd be sleeping on the couch tonight."

"Aw come on." Gibbs flashed his smile up at her. "I thought you loved me."

The waitress raised her eyebrow and shook her head at Gibbs.

"It's his birthday." Maggie whispered from her side of the booth. "So he got to choose."

"Well why didn't you say so this morning?" The waitress smacked him on the shoulder with her order pad.

Gibbs just shrugged.

"Well let me guess, steak and fries for you." The waitress wrote down Gibbs' pre-marriage usual eat alone order. "Black coffee and water on the side."

Gibbs winked at her. "Make it a beer instead of coffee."

"And for you?" The waitress smiled at Maggie.

"Cheeseburger with onion rings, coke and water on the side."

"Mm hmm a woman who eats. You are a dying breed." The waitress smiled. "Drinks are right on their way."

After the waitress brought the drinks, Maggie leaned forward and looked at her husband.

"Okay, now it's time to tell me what's going on."

"It's my birthday. This is where I wanted to go." Gibbs reached out and put his hand over Maggie's.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, I know you better than that. Something has been on your mind. You've been distracted lately."

"Later." Gibbs told her. "I just want to have a nice dinner with my wife. That's all I wanted for my birthday."

Maggie arched her eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well this and whatever you have planned for later." He grinned.

They made small talk about Franklin's first days of pre-school. Gibbs didn't think it was necessary for their son to go yet, but Maggie said that it was good for interaction.

"It's good for him. You saw how much he likes it. It's only two mornings a week. And then next year he'll do three days and then when Kindergarten starts, he'll be ready." Maggie explained.

"I can't even think that far ahead yet." Gibbs took a sip of his beer. "But I guess you're right. You are the teacher in the family and all." Gibbs looked at his wife. "Do you miss it? Teaching full time?"

Maggie shook her head. "Not really. I thought I would at first, but your son keeps me on my toes."

"Oh my son huh?" Gibbs teased.

"He has your mind. He's always thinking. He gets that look, the one where you can almost hear the wheels turning. Like your gut feeling look you get."

"I get a look?"

"You do. Like you're staring at something but your mind is totally someplace else. He sees things and puts them together in his head. The other morning he told me that his friend at school was out sick because he forgot to wash his hands after he peed and got sick." Maggie told him.

"You don't mess with mess." Gibbs nodded.

The waitress came out with their orders and they both started to eat. Gibbs reached over and stole a couple of Maggie's onion rings and gave some of his fries to her. Maggie didn't complain; it was a little ritual of theirs, the only thing Gibbs didn't get was Maggie liking tartar sauce on her fries.

"It's a DiNozzo thing, Tony does it too." Maggie told him. "Jamie even likes and I'll make sure Franklin does."

"My son will not put anything but ketchup on his fries." Gibbs retorted.

After dinner, the waitress brought over a piece of blueberry pie wrapped in a to go box.

"My little boyfriend Franklin loves blueberry pie." She explained. "Bring him home a piece from me."

"I thought I was your boyfriend?" Gibbs teased.

"You were until that little boy came along. He's got my heart now; you just keep bringing him to visit me on Sunday mornings."

"Don't worry, he will." Maggie took the pie as they got up from the booth. "I can't live without your blueberry muffins."

After dinner Maggie and Gibbs drove to Georgetown to walk around and enjoy the warm fall night. They stopped at Georgetown Cupcakes where Gibbs got a Vanilla Birthday cupcake while Maggie got a Key Lime cupcake. They walked down to the waterfront, found an empty bench and sat down to enjoy their cupcakes.

"You've got a little frosting…" Gibbs pointed to the side of Maggie's mouth, but before she could get it with her napkin, he leaned over and kissed it off. "Mm, should have gotten one of those."

"We can stop in on the way back to the truck and get some more if you want." Maggie told him.

They finished their cupcakes and sipped the coffee they got from a vendor on their way to the waterfront. Gibbs put his arm on the back of the bench and Maggie slid over closer to him. They sat there for a few minutes watching the boats in the harbor before Gibbs spoke.

"SecNav came by the office earlier in the week and offered me a new job." Gibbs finally told her.

Maggie turned her body so she could look at him. "What job? Is Leon leaving?"

"No. And I wouldn't take that job for all the money in the world."

"Okay then. What is the job?"

"Train field agents."

"Don't you do that now? I mean like you did with Tony when he came from Baltimore?"

Gibbs made a face. "Not really like that. More like I wouldn't be leading a team anymore. No more field work for me."

"And you'd be okay with that?" Maggie knew her husband loved the field work.

"I could be asked to consult on special cases. But I'd be training field agents in undercover work. More like a teacher."

"But you didn't answer me. Would you be okay stepping away from what you do now?"

Gibbs tucked a strand of Maggie's hair that had blown in her face behind her ear. "I was thinking about retiring."

"Why? You're only 60; you're too young to retire." She knew about the 4 months he'd taken off before; calling it a retirement, but it hadn't been.

"I don't want to miss out on anything with Franklin. My job now doesn't have great hours and let's face it; I'm a dinosaur in it. I do things old school. Maybe it is time to let Tony step up and take the team permanently."

"And SecNav heard about you wanting to do this?"

"Well Leon and I talked and SecNav found out." Gibbs gave a lopsided smile. "Guess neither of them is ready to let me go."

"So when would it happen?"

"I have to tell SecNav by the end of the week. Then as long as we're not in the middle of a case, Tony takes over, McGee becomes Senior Field Agent, Ziva moves up and they'll promote someone up."

"And Abby?"

"Abby will be fine without me there every day. I'll still be at the Navy Yard, so it's not like I'll be far away. But now I know I'll be home for dinner every night. No more middle of the night calls to a crime scene."

"So you want to do this?" Maggie asked.

"I want to do this. I want you to be okay with me doing this." Gibbs told her.

"I'm behind you 100%. If you wanted to not take the job or take the job. I want you to be happy."

"I'm sorry. What did you just say?" Tony looked at Gibbs as they stood in Director Vance's office a few days later."

"I said I'm stepping down at the end of the month. The team will be yours." Gibbs told him again.

"Are you out of your flipping mind?!" Tony yelled at him.

"Now that is not what I expected to hear." Vance said from his desk.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm sorry. What did you just say?" Tony looked at Gibbs as they stood in Director Vance's office a few days later.

"I said I'm stepping down at the end of the month. The team will be yours." Gibbs told him again.

"Are you out of your flipping mind?!" Tony yelled at him and stormed out of the room leaving Gibbs staring at the back of the door.

"Now that is not what I expected to hear." Vance said from his desk.

Tony flew down the stairs to his desk, anger coming off him in waves. McGee and Ziva watched in a stunned silence as Tony grabbed his gun and badge from the draw slammed it shut and stormed to the elevator. They exchanged looks across the bullpen, neither of them knowing what was going on.

Gibbs came down from the director's office ten minutes later. The first thing he noticed was Tony was not there.

"Where's DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"Just left a few minutes ago Boss." McGee informed him.

"He seemed upset." Ziva added. "Is everything okay?"

Gibbs nodded. "It's getting late. Go home you two." He told them as he gathered up his own things. His gut was telling him where he was going to find Tony.

"Good kick Franklin." Maggie cheered her son on as he kicked a ball around the back yard. Her son had energy to spare and a good session of running around the backyard before dinner helped to wind that energy down.

"Mama watch me." Franklin would happily call out over and over as his little foot kicked the soccer ball Jamie had given him.

"I'm watching baby. Kick it to me now." Maggie told him. Franklin stuck his tongue out; much like his father did, and concentrated on kicking the ball as hard as he could over to Maggie.

"Good job Franklin."

Maggie looked over to the gate by the driveway to see Tony standing there. Instantly she knew something wasn't right. Tony's smile for Franklin didn't reach his eyes.

"Uncle Tony!" Franklin called out. "Watch dis." Franklin ran over to the ball and kicked it again to where Tony was now standing.

"Come here and give Uncle Tony a hug."

Franklin ran over and threw his arms around his uncle's neck. "You wanna play?"

Tony zipped up Franklin's sweatshirt and tapped the brim of his baseball hat. "Maybe later little man. You go over and practice some more. I need to talk to your Mom."

"Okay Uncle Tony." Franklin kicked his ball back over to the middle of the yard.

"Tony? What's wrong?" Maggie asked when Tony stepped in front of her. She could tell from his body language something was wrong.

"You wanna tell me why Gibbs is leaving?" He asked through clenched teeth.

Maggie guessed Tony didn't take well to the news.

"It was his choice." Maggie felt a chill that didn't come from the autumn air and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Was it?" Tony's eyebrow arched up. "Or was it yours?"

Maggie was astonished. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Is this your idea for Gibbs to leave?"

"What the hell are you talking about Tony?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Tony yelled causing Franklin to look over at his mother.

"You keep your voice down." Maggie warned him.

"Or what? What else can you do?"

"Tony, I have no idea what you're talking about. Gibbs made this decision on his own."

"Did he really? Ever since you've gotten here, you've managed to screw things up for me."

Maggie's mouth opened and closed. Where was this coming from?

"You move down here, seduce Gibbs, end up getting him to marry you and then you have his kid."

"Tony. You're angry and you don't know what you're saying." Maggie stepped up closer to her brother so they were barely inches apart.

Gibbs knew he was right to break the speed limit to get home when he saw Tony's car parked in front of the house. He could hear the dog barking in the back yard and Franklin's voice. Maggie would never let Franklin out alone, so he walked around back.

"Oh don't I?" Tony got even closer to Maggie. "You show up and fucked up everything up. You couldn't just let me be happy? You have to take it all away from me."

"Tony. What the hell are you talking about?"

"DiNozzo, you need to calm down." Gibbs warned when he approached Maggie and Tony. "You will not raise your voice to my wife or scare my son."

"Daddy?" Franklin carefully approached the adults he loved who looked very angry with each other.

Gibbs picked Franklin up and kissed him.

"Why are Mommy and Uncle Tony yelling?"

"We're just talking loud sweetie. Why don't you go take Daddy inside and show him what you made in school today." Maggie nodded at Gibbs. "I want to talk to Uncle Tony alone."

Gibbs wanted to stay but knew to give them a few minutes. He took Franklin inside and watched from the kitchen window.

"Tony, what is this really about? You've …" Maggie began and Tony cut her off.

"You took it all away from me. Gibbs has changed, work is changing and even Dad doesn't come around all because of you. You came down here and couldn't keep your legs together."

Maggie reacted without thinking. Gibbs could even hear the slap Maggie gave Tony from inside. He'd never seen his wife loose her temper. He felt like he was holding his breath while he waited to see what happened.

"I don't know who you are right now. But you are NOT my brother. Leave." Maggie said as evenly as she could.

Tony could feel the sting on his cheek. He knew he deserved. He wanted to take his anger out on Maggie. If she hadn't come down to DC, then things wouldn't have to change. He turned on his heel and walked out of the yard.

Gibbs started down the back stairs and towards Tony's retreating form; but Maggie stopped him.

"Don't." Maggie said as the tears pooled in her eyes. "Let him go."

Gibbs put his hand behind Maggie's head and made her look up at him. "What did he say?"

Maggie shook her head. "He's angry. I think it's more than your stepping down."

"I thought he'd show up to have it out with me." Gibbs hugged his wife. "I never thought he'd take it out on you."

"There's more to it than that."

"Why'd you hit him?"

Maggie knew if she told Gibbs what Tony had said to her, Gibbs would tear out after him. But Maggie had known Tony all his life. This was something more. Maggie had to let him cool off first.

Tony slammed the wall of the elevator as he rode up to his apartment. If Maggie hadn't come down and gotten together with Gibbs, then none of this would be happening. Gibbs wouldn't be leaving. Tony wouldn't be made team leader. This was everything he'd wanted once and now he wanted things to stay the same. And after the little anger trip he'd just had with Maggie…he wondered if her hand print was still on his face. He was just putting the key in the door when it flung open.

"I was wondering where you were…." Ziva looked up at him. "What happened to your face?" she gingerly touched the red mark on his cheek as Tony stepped into his apartment.

"I think I just got myself fired." Tony bent down and wrapped his arms around Ziva.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey bud, one more carrot." Gibbs pointed at the small orange square on Franklin's plate. Franklin picked up the carrot with his fingers and popped it in his mouth.

"See." Franklin opened his mouth and showed his father that he had it in his mouth.

"Now chew that and eat three more and we can go work on the boat." Gibbs leaned over and mussed up his son's hair.

"Mommy help?" Franklin asked his father.

"Mommy has to eat her carrots too. And some of her chicken." Gibbs noticed Maggie wasn't eating her food; she was just pushing it around her plate.

"Thwee bites Mommy." Franklin told her as he popped another carrot in his mouth.

"Three bites munchkin." Maggie speared a piece of chicken with her fork and put it in her mouth. "Daddy makes good chicken."

"I helped too." Franklin told his mother. "I put the …" Franklin screwed up his face as he tried to remember what he put on the chicken. "What I put on it Daddy?"

"You put the seasonings on." Gibbs told his son.

"Daddy, chew before talking."

Maggie hid a smile behind her napkin. Like father like son she thought.

"All done." Franklin picked up his little plastic plate with Thomas the Tank Engine on it and showed his parents he had finished all his carrots. "Can we go work on the boat now?"

"Go get the wipes to wash your hands and let Daddy finish his dinner." Maggie told Franklin as he climbed down from his chair.

"K." Franklin answered and walked off to the downstairs bathroom.

"You want to tell me what Tony said to you?" Gibbs asked as he ate the last of his carrots.

Maggie shook her head and took a sip of her water. "Not now. Maybe later. You promised you'd take Franklin out to work on the boat. After he's in bed." Maggie promised him.

Maggie cleaned up after dinner and walked out to the garage. Well garage is what they called it, but it was more like a garage on steroids. She could hear Gibbs and Franklin talking.

"Now move it like this." Maggie watched from the door as Gibbs guided Franklin's hand over the wood with the sand paper. She wished she had brought her camera with her. For Franklin's birthday Gibbs had gotten him his own miniature tool belt, just like Gibbs'. There they stood; father and son, both in jeans, long sleeved tee shirts and work boots. Franklin insisted d on having ones like his father so they could work on the boat. Maggie knew about the other boats Gibbs had built in the past and the one he finished and gave to Amira; but seeing him smiling like he was as he taught his son to use hand tools and building a boat together; she could understand why he wanted to step down at work.

"Okay munchkin, time to get ready for bed." Maggie walked over to them.

"Awww Mommy." Franklin started to protest; but Gibbs picked him up and stood him on the stool and started to brush the dust from the sand paper off him.

"Bath time buddy." Gibbs took the tool belt off Franklin and put it on the bench. "Kiss please." Gibbs said to his son who made a fish face and kissed his father.

"Now you kiss Mommy." Franklin told his father and Gibbs leaned in to kiss Maggie.

"Gwoup hug." Franklin threw his arms around his parents' necks and hugged them tight. Gibbs grabbed Maggie and Franklin and pulled them in and made a bear growling noise and squeezed them.

"My goodness." Maggie smiled. "Group hugs and kisses from my favorite guys! How lucky can I get?"

Gibbs reached out and pinched Maggie's backside and winked at her. She smiled and shook her head as she brought Franklin down from the stool and took his hand.

"I'll be up to read your story in a few minutes." Gibbs told his son and watched Maggie and Franklin walk across the back yard.

Gibbs finished reading the last sentence on the page and looked down to see his son fast asleep. He pulled the blanket up over Franklin's shoulders, made sure that Bear the stuffed bear in a Marine uniform Jamie gave him was tucked in Franklin's arms before securing the bed rails up on the side. Once all was as it should be, he kissed his son on the head and left the bedroom. He closed the door and made sure he took the monitor downstairs with him. Maggie was down in the kitchen folding laundry at the table. Gibbs walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his nose in her neck.

"You smell good." He nuzzled her neck.

"You must smell the dryer sheets." She told him as she finished folding the towels.

Gibbs' hands slipped under her shirt to her belly and rested there as he continued trying to distract her from folding laundry. Maggie reached her hand up and stroked his cheek. "You trying to distract me from laundry?"

"Maybe." He smirked and stepped back so he could turn Maggie around to face him.

"Maybe I just want to kiss my wife." He said as he proceeded to kiss her. Maggie forgot about the laundry and wrapped her arms around Gibbs' neck. For a few minutes, while they stood there kissing in the kitchen, she forgot about the laundry and what happened with Tony earlier in the night which was what Gibbs was trying to do.

"Tony, you cannot let this stay like it is." Ziva was sitting on the couch next to Tony. "You have to call Maggie and apologize."

"It's not that simple Ziva." Tony leaned forward, elbows on his knees and ran his hands over his face. "I said some things that I didn't mean and when Gibbs finds out…"

"Maybe she will not tell Gibbs." Ziva commented. "Maybe she knows you were upset."

"No, Gibbs will know." Tony leaned back against the cushions on the couch and let out a breath. "Maggie and Gibbs don't keep secrets from each other."

Ziva lifted Tony's arm up and snuggled into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Too many secrets were running around. Sooner or later they were going to cause problems. She had always hoped later would be later than now.

The kissing session in the kitchen got a little more hot and heavier than they had intended and Maggie was happy the window shades were down or their neighbors would have seen things that neighbors shouldn't see. After they righted their clothes, Gibbs and Maggie sat on the back porch swing, cuddling and listening to the night.

"I suppose you want to know what happened earlier." Maggie finally said.

"Yup." Gibbs answered and waited.

"Tony didn't take the news well did he?"

"You could say that." Gibbs remembered the scene in Leon's office.

"He blames me."

"For what?" Gibbs said astonished.

"He said that everything has changed because I came down here."

Gibbs pulled back and looked down at Maggie. "What?"

Maggie shrugged her shoulders. "He said I came down here, met you, married you, had your son and now you're walking away."

"That's bullshit and he knows that."

"I know he knows that Gibbs, but there has to be more to that. He even blames me for Senior staying away."

"Come on." Gibbs snorted. "That guy keeps his distance because of me. He knows better than to play games with my family."

"I can't speak for what Senior does. But he has been distant with Tony. I don't know why."

"Don't get involved Maggie. Let Tony deal with him." Gibbs gently warned his wife. "But that doesn't explain why you slapped him."

"You were watching?" Maggie was surprised he knew about it.

"I heard it." Gibbs remembered. "Why did you slap him?"

Maggie tugged at the hem of Gibbs' shirt. She wasn't going to lie to him.

"Maggie?" Gibbs prodded when she didn't answer right away.

"Tony basically said if I had kept my legs together back then, his life wouldn't be what it is now."

Maggie cringed when she felt Gibbs' body stiffen. She looked up at his face and saw the anger in his eyes. She put her hand on his chest.

"Gibbs."

"I don't care if he is your brother, he called you a…."

"I know what he was saying." Maggie cut him off. "But Gibbs, this is a brother/sister thing. I need to deal with Tony."

Gibbs jaw clenched and unclenched. "I can't allow him to say that to you."

"No. No you can't." Maggie agreed. "But whatever is really upsetting him Gibbs, I need to deal with him. Okay?"

Gibbs didn't answer.

"Gibbs look at me." Maggie put her hands on his face and made him look at her. "Don't bring this to work. Promise me."

Gibbs looked at his wife but couldn't say anything.

"Please. Promise me."

Gibbs finally nodded. "Okay. I promise. But you need to find out because the husband side of me wants to put his ass on the ground. The boss side of me does too, but that side will stay focused."

Tony sat at his desk and waited. For what he wasn't sure. Director Vance had walked by and nodded to him. Maybe he wasn't being fired. Why would he be fired for an argument with his sister? That was stupid. No, he was waiting for Gibbs and to see what would happen.

"Tony, you are too round up." Ziva whispered from her desk.

"Wound up. It's too wound up. And I think I should be." Tony said as he saw Gibbs on the phone stepping off the elevator. The moment of truth was here. Gibbs made eye contact with Tony, and in that second he knew that Gibbs and Maggie had talked. He waited for Gibbs to say something. And he did.

"Grab your gear people. Dead Marine in Anacostia." Gibbs said as he walked by.


	5. Chapter 5

"Gibbs seem a little….quieter than normal?" McGee asked Ziva as they walked the perimeter of the crime scene.

"No more than usual." Ziva lied. She knew what was causing Gibbs to be quieter than usual. She kept an eye on Tony and noticed he was keeping his distance from Gibbs.

"Bag and tag DiNozzo." Gibbs ordered without looking in Tony's direction. "McGee with me, Ziva finishes sketching the scene."

McGee followed Gibbs over to interview the witnesses while Palmer and his assistant finished loading the body into the ME Van.

"Has he said anything to you?" Ziva commented as she held open an evidence bag for Tony.

"Not a word. I always thought Maggie was scary when she was mad."

"Why would Maggie be scary?" Ziva signed her initials on the evidence bag.

"Maggie will ignore me; treat me like I'm not even there." Tony stood up.

"You done sketching Ziver?" Gibbs pronounced her name in his usual manner.

"Just about." Ziva told him.

"Just about isn't the same as done." Gibbs handed the truck keys to McGee. "I'm hitching a ride with Palmer."

McGee watched Gibbs' retreating back as he walked to the ME Van.

"That's a first."

"What?" Tony asked McGee as he joined him.

"Gibbs hitching a ride with Palmer."

Tony adjusted his hat as he saw Gibbs get in the back with the body. Gibbs sat on the bench and for a split second looked up and made eye contact with Tony.

Gibbs looked down at the body bag in front of him. He needed some time away from DiNozzo. He'd made a promise to Maggie, but he was finding it hard to keep. Gibbs was an only child so he didn't grow up with sibling issues and when you're in the Corps, well those kinds of family issues were different. Gibbs was fighting with himself. The 'boss' in him knew it should be let alone. This was a family issue and had nothing to do with work. But the 'husband' side; well that side wanted haul off and hit Tony for what he implied. Tony told Maggie she should have kept her legs together. Who the hell says that to their sister! Gibbs slammed his fists down on the bench beside him.

"Everything okay back there Agent Gibbs?" Palmer asked through the small window between the cab and the back.

"Fine." Gibbs spit out.

He went back to thinking about Maggie and Tony. Maggie knew Tony had his faults, but never used them against him. She had Tony's back no matter what he said or did. She was there for him when Senior wasn't. She just about raised Tony. For Tony to say she …. Gibbs didn't even want to finish that sentence. Whatever Maggie was planning on doing, she needed to do it fast.

"And that's the last time you talked to him?" Maggie cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder as she talked to Jamie and stirred the beef stew in the crock pot.

"It is Mom. He e-mailed me about a month ago, I couldn't figure out where he was. He asked about Franklin and liked the pictures I sent him." Jamie said on his end of the phone. "You're not mad I send pictures to him are you?"

"No Jamie, I'm fine with that. I know you and Senior are closer than he and I are. I'm just trying to figure out where he is." Maggie put the lid back down on the crock pot. "Have you talked to your Uncle Tony recently?"

"We went out for dinner the other night." Jamie said and then Maggie heard him cover the phone and speak to someone in the back ground. "Sorry Mom, I'm kind of in the middle of something. Is there anything I should know?"

"Nope. I'll save some stew for you and you can pick it up during the week." Maggie told her son.

"Homemade bread?" Maggie could hear Jamie drooling and laughed.

"What else would I make?" Maggie told him. "Love you."

"Love you too Mom."

Maggie checked on the bread in the oven and then poked her head into the living room. Franklin was playing with his Thomas trains, sitting in the middle of the train tracks he and his father had made the night before.

"Well…I may as well." Maggie scratched Freckles ears. "What's the worst thing that could happen?"

Maggie brought her laptop over to the kitchen table and queued it up. While she waited for the connection to open she thought about what she wanted to say. Gibbs told her to leave it alone, the Senior aspect of Tony's tirade. She knew that her husband had little love for Senior; hell right now she didn't have much love for Senior either. But something was wrong with Tony and she needed to find out.

The email program opened up and Maggie typed the address

_To: ADiNozzoSR _

_From: MEGibbs _

_RE:_

Maggie paused at the reason. Why was she e-mailing Senior? For a good five minutes Maggie paced the kitchen trying to think. Direct is always best she finally decided.

_To: ADiNozzoSR _

_From: MEGibbs _

_RE: We need to talk_

Now the hard part; the actual body of the e-mail.

_Senior,_

_I need you to contact me ASAP. Cell or e-mail._

_Maggie._

Direct was better. She hit the send button and closed her lap top. She hoped she wasn't making a mistake.

Gibbs kept his mind on the case at hand. Something was gnawing at his gut on this one. There was more to it than he could see right now. His gut told him that this case was going to be his last one and it wasn't going to be a slam dunk case. He picked up the phone and called home.

"Let me guess." Maggie recognized Gibbs' office line. "Tough case. Dirt bag won't break under the Gibbs stare and interrogation techniques?" Maggie smiled as she answered the phone.

"More like a tough case. I won't make it for dinner." Gibbs told her.

"Well good thing beef stew tastes better the longer it sits." Maggie told him.

"Homemade bread too?" Gibbs asked.

"I made more than one loaf. Don't worry."

"Mommy I don't feew good." Franklin came into the kitchen and leaned against Maggie's legs.

"Is that Franklin?" Gibbs heard his son's voice.

"Yeah. He's feeling kind of warm." Maggie picked Franklin up and felt his forehead. He was warm.

"I'll be right there." Gibbs told her.

"Gibbs. He's has a little fever. It happens. I'll give him some fever reducer and some juice and he'll be fine. It's been going around his pre-school class. Layla said Amira had it last week. Just a cold. No worries."

Gibbs wanted to be home with Franklin and hold him while he didn't feel good. Read him stories and make him feel better. But Maggie was right. It was a cold most likely, kids get them.

"Okay. Give him a kiss for me and I'll be home as soon as I can. Does he need anything?" Gibbs heard Maggie ask Franklin if he wanted Daddy to bring him anything.

"He wants popsicles." Maggie told him.

"The superhero ones. I know which kind." Gibbs wrote a reminder note for himself. "I'll be home soon. I love you."

"Love you too." Maggie replied.

"Everything okay?" McGee asked. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"Franklin's running a fever." Gibbs answered. "I need to get popsicles for him when I go home."

"I'd be happy to do that for you Boss." McGee told Gibbs. "I was going out to pick up dinner for us, it's my turn. You don't live that far away."

"You're not my personal delivery service McGee." Gibbs told the agent.

McGee walked over to stand in front of Gibbs' desk. "Boss. I insist. It's no fun to be sick when you're a kid and if Franklin wants superhero popsicles, then I'm getting them for him."

Gibbs looked up at McGee and cocked his eyebrow. McGee wasn't asking for permission, he was telling Gibbs he was going to do it. McGee had definitely come into his own in the past few years.

"You know the ones?" Gibbs reached into his wallet to pull out some money. McGee put his hand up to stop him.

"My treat boss. The little guy has made some of the best artwork in my apartment."

Gibbs called Maggie to tell her to expect McGee and then went left the office to get his coffee fix. When he came back, he held a cup in each hand and waited for the elevator to open on the ground floor. What he didn't expect was that he'd have to share that elevator ride with Tony who was coming up from autopsy.

Gibbs stepped into the elevator and tuned his back to Tony. It was silent in the small space.

"McGee said Franklin has a fever." Tony started to say.

Gibbs flipped the elevator to stop and turned to face Tony. They stood a foot apart, Gibbs gritted his teeth. "I promised my wife that I would not say anything to you about what happened yesterday."

"Boss. Listen…" Tony wanted to defend himself.

"No. You listen." Gibbs started to lose his calm. "If you EVER insult my wife like that again, I will knock you on your ass. DO YOU HEAR ME!"

"I think the whole building can hear you." Tony was getting angry now.

"WHAT!" Gibbs got in Tony's space now.

"Gibbs, this is between me and Maggie. She's my sister too. This has nothing to do with work."

Gibbs gritted his teeth and was happy there was a cup of coffee in each hand or Tony would be shoved against the wall right now.

"Right here. Right now. In this elevator it's about family. Up there." Gibbs nodded his head upwards. "It's work. You have issues with my stepping down, you deal with me. Got it."

"Got it. Maybe you should remember that too." Tony held Gibbs' stare.

Gibbs turned back and flipped the switch to run the elevator. "That's why you're still standing right now." Gibbs told him.


	6. Chapter 6

_**I had to update the chapter…It wasn't showing as I wrote it. Please forgive me if you get confusing updates. ~KAM**_

"I can't send anyone else. It has to be you and David." Director Vance held his ground.

Gibbs took a deep breath and moved his line of vision from the Director to the window that looked out over the Navy Yard. Vance was right. It had to be him to go. DiNozzo needed to run things from this end and McGee's expertise in computers was needed here too. He glanced down at his watch and did some mental calculations.

"Twelve hours." Gibbs commented. "Have the plane ready at Andrews then."

Vance nodded. He knew that the next part, telling the wife that you had to go undercover; that was a conversation he always dreaded having with Jackie.

Gibbs bounded down the stairs knowing the eyes of his team were on him. He walked past Ziva and Tony's desks and sat down at his. He gestured for the three to come to his desk.

"Tony, you'll run the op from here. Ziva and I will fly out of Andrews at 0800 tomorrow morning. McGee you'll take control of things in MTAC."

"On it Boss." McGee nodded and went back to his desk.

"I will go get ready and meet you back here at…" Ziva waited for Gibbs to reply.

"0600. I want to go over everything again before we leave." Gibbs told her. "DiNozzo. A moment." Gibbs got up and walked to the rear elevator.

Tony glanced at Ziva before he followed Gibbs into the elevator. He stepped in and waited for Gibbs to press Abby's level and then stop the elevator. The emergency lights went on and Gibbs turned to Tony.

"Yeah Boss." Tony responded.

Gibbs straightened up and looked at Tony square in the eyes. "Family in here now."

"Okay." Tony understood.

"I'm asking you to stay at the house while I'm gone." Gibbs told him.

"But…" Tony started. "Maggie…She…I…."

"The last time …James went undercover." Gibbs started and stopped.

Tony understood what Gibbs was trying to say. The last time Maggie's husband went undercover; he was killed.

"I get it boss."

"Good. Just stay there at night. I'll explain it to her."

Gibbs turned back to the elevator and flipped the switch. Now to explain this all to Maggie.

Maggie sat in the middle of the bed, sitting criss cross apple sauce as Franklin would say. She watched as Gibbs pulled out his backpack and put what he needed inside of it.

"A week at the longest." Gibbs reassured her for the third time.

"I know Gibbs." Maggie answered.

"Tony will stay here at night. I don't want you alone."

"Tony doesn't have to stay here. I'm fine alone." Maggie began and Gibbs looked up at her and she knew that he wasn't going to change his mind on that point and put her hands up.

"Gibbs, I don't care if it takes a day, a week or a month. You do what you have to do and come back to me." Maggie told him.

Her heart fell into her stomach when he came home and told her what was going on. He'd been on long cases where he'd pulled long hours at work, but never gone undercover like this since they'd been together. The last time a man she loved went undercover, he never came home.

Gibbs finished packing and put the bag next to the door. He closed the door and went over and sat in front of Maggie on the bed. There was nothing he could say that would calm her nerves. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her softly. Maggie's arms snuck up around his neck and he leaned into her body, pushing her back against the pillows. Hands slipped under clothes and removed them until there was nothing left between them. They made love without saying a word, their bodies doing all the talking they needed.

Gibbs did not sleep that night. He held his wife's sleeping form spooned against him. He inhaled the scent of her shampoo as he watched the minutes click by on the nightstand clock. No matter what, he would make it home. He was given this second chance at love and family and didn't want to lose it.

Maggie woke the instant she felt Gibbs leave the bed. He kept the light off while he used the bathroom and dressed. Maggie closed her eye when he bent down next to her side of the bed and kissed her. He told her he loved her as he left the bedroom. She heard him stop in Franklin's room and kiss him goodbye. He told Freckles to keep an eye on Franklin. When she heard the kitchen door shut and his truck start, she buried her head in his pillow and cried.

Tony thought about picking up pizza on the way to Gibbs and Maggie's but if memory served him right, when Maggie was upset, she cooked. As he walked up the back stairs, he could smell tomatoes and garlic and onions and he knew Maggie was cooking.

"Hello?" Tony called out as he knocked on the kitchen door.

"Uncle Tony!" Franklin ran from the living room into the kitchen and let Tony sweep him up in a bear hug.

"Who's the best nephew ever?" Tony asked Franklin.

"Me!" the little boy yelled out. "Come play trains with me?"

"Let Uncle Tony put his stuff upstairs first Franklin." Maggie told her son as she stirred the sauce in the pot.

"We'll play in a few minutes." Tony ruffled Franklin's hair and watched him walk back to his trains. "I know you're not okay with me staying here." Tony started to say to Maggie but she put her hand up to stop him.

"I can't do this now Tony." Maggie didn't even look up at him. She just stared down at the pot in front of her and kept stirring. "We're having ravioli."

"I love ravioli." Tony commented. "I'll just bring my stuff upstairs and then keep Franklin occupied."

Maggie nodded her head. She wanted answers. Had he heard from Gibbs? Was he able to contact him? But she knew better than to ask. Instead she focused on dinner and keeping things normal for Franklin.

Tony loved spending time with Franklin. The little boy had an amazing imagination for a three year old. As Tony watched him play with his trains, he could see Gibbs in him. He saw Maggie and Jamie too. He even saw some of himself in his nephew. He wondered what a son of his own would be like. He hoped it wouldn't be too long before he'd be a dad himself. But now with Gibbs stepping down and him stepping up to be team leader, would he have the time? Could the next step happen?

Once Franklin was in bed, Tony checked in with McGee in MTAC.

"Plane landed and they were picked up by their contact." McGee confirmed. "Nothing since then."

"When were they supposed to check in?" Tony looked at his watch.

"Not for another 3 hours." McGee confirmed. "Everything okay there?"

"Yeah, fine. Why ask?" Tony answered.

"I know this is the first time Gibbs has gone undercover like this and …."McGee paused. "I know how Maggie's first husband died."

Tony looked out the window, he remembered that night all too well and how it almost destroyed Maggie.

"She's upset about it, but she's hiding it for Franklin." Tony changed subjects. "On the upside, we're having meatball subs for lunch tomorrow. She's been cooking all day."

"Well if you need anything." McGee told Tony.

"What would I need McGoo?"

"You know what I mean Tony."

"Yeah, I do." Tony's tone softened. "Go grab a couple of hours of sleep. I'll be in at dawn."

Tony couldn't sleep. He wanted to be at the office keeping an eye on things. But he'd made a promise to Gibbs and Vance said he'd cover MTAC while Tony was out at Maggie's. Tony wandered past Maggie's room and saw the door was open.

"Mags?" he whispered and got no answer. He checked Franklin's room to see if she was there, no luck.

He found Maggie sitting out on the back porch. He walked over and leaned against the porch railing.

"It's the middle of the night Mags. You should be sleeping. In your nice warm bed." Tony rubbed his arms.

Maggie looked at her brother.

"Tony, do you really hate me so much that you wish I hadn't come here and hadn't had my son?"

Tony sat down heavily on the bench next to Maggie.

"I deserve that."

"Damn right you do. How dare you say what you did to me?" Maggie's voice shook with tears and anger.

"Mags, please, let me explain." Tony turned to face his sister.

"I wish you would. Because for the life of me, I don't know what I did to deserve that."

"When Gibbs came back and took over as team leader again, I got the chance to branch out and do special ops for the Director. Did you know I was even offered my own team?"

"In Rota. Yeah I know. Gibbs told me." Maggie explained. "McGee was offered a job in Okinawa too. Gibbs knows all about them."

"Of course he does." Tony sat back in the swing and continued. "I liked not having all the pressure on me. I liked being part of a team. Don't get me wrong, being the leader had its perks too. I mean…"

"Tony, what does that have to do with why you blame me for Gibbs stepping down? For Senior not being around?"

"I was angry and I wanted to take it out on someone who I know would not hold it against me …. Well not hold it against me forever. I'm sorry for what I said to you about …."

"Keeping my legs together I believe you said."

Tony cringed. "Yeah, that was crass for even me."

"Are you that scared of being in charge when Gibbs leaves?"

"No, it's not that." Tony ran his hand through his hair.

"Or are you afraid you'll have to stop seeing Ziva?"

Tony's jaw dropped as his head snapped to look at Maggie. "What are you talking about?"

Maggie smiled slightly. "I figured it out a long time ago. You and Ziva. I mean it was inevitable."

Tony took a deep breath. "It's not what you think. Me. Ziva. It's too complicated."

"Nothing is complicated Tony, only if you make it that way."

"Mags, what you and Gibbs have isn't complicated." Tony started.

"It's not? Maybe not now, but in the beginning." Maggie reminded him.

"You two have what I only can hope for."

"And you want that with Ziva."

"Mags, I told you it's complicated and if I become team leader…."

"When you become team leader." Maggie corrected him.

"A relationship between us would be complicated. And Gibbs' Rule #12."

"Won't matter when he's not there." Maggie told him.

"Does Gibbs know?" Tony was afraid to know the answer to that question."

"Yeah Gibbs knows. He figured it out on his own."

"Crap." Tony commented. "We don't know what it is. It just is. I can't explain it. We're not in a relationship. We just get each other that's all." Tony paused. "No wait, if he's known for all these months, why didn't he say something? He's got his rules about stuff like this."

"And some of those rules have good use, but even he knows that you can't always be right. Rule #51."

"51? 51?" Tony questioned out loud. "I don't think I know that one."

"Sometimes – You're wrong."

"Any word?" Tony asked McGee as he came into MTAC. McGee called Tony as he sat on the porch with Maggie. He lied to her and told h he had to go in earlier to help McGee. But Maggie knew. Something wasn't right.

"Nothing." Director Vance answered from his chair. "All we know is they didn't check in at the appointed time."

"No visual on them?"

"Local satellite doesn't come into range for another hour." McGee told Tony. "And even then we have to hope they are where they were supposed to be."

"Local contacts? Anything?" Tony asked Vance.

"Nothing yet. Let's wait to see what the sat images show us and then we'll see where we go."

Tony looked up at the large screen in front of him. He prayed that in an hour the sat image would show an alive Gibbs and Ziva.

Ziva knew their cover had been blown from the moment they landed. Somehow their covers had been leaked and when they tried to leave the airport, they were met by armed men; thrown into a van and driven for several hours before they stopped. When Gibbs tried to say something to Ziva, he received a rifle but slammed into his side. Judging from the pain in his right side, he now had a couple of fractured ribs.

When the van finally stopped, burlap bags were dropped over their heads, their hands zip tied in front of them. They were pushed and shoved into a building and down a long hall. Gibbs tried to get his bearings. He knew it was now night time because there was little change in the light coming through the bag on his head. The air wasn't as hot outside the van as it should be during the day. Neither he nor Ziva had been searched so they didn't know about the knife Ziva carried in her boot and he hoped they wouldn't search them now.

"Sit." A man commanded in heavily accented English.

Gibbs and Ziva were shoved down onto hard wooden chairs, the bags taken from their heads. Gibbs blinked and let his eyes adjust to the room around him. There were windows high in the ceiling, a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling above them. A heavy door slammed behind them and locked leaving Gibbs and Ziva alone.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked Ziva.

"The last time I was in this position, Tony was across from me and you were on a hill 1000 meters away, with your rifle." Ziva commented.

"Too bad I left it at home." Gibbs smirked.


	7. Chapter 7

"Any idea what this is about?" Ziva asked as she tested the ropes at her wrists.

"Nope." Gibbs tried his ropes and the movement hurt his side, definitely a couple of fractured ribs.

The heavy door opened behind them and two armed men came into the room. Gibbs couldn't see who came with them. But he recognized the voice.

"Hello Special Agent Gibbs. It has been a while has it not?"

Gibbs closed his eyes and smirked. "Javor."

Ziva looked from Gibbs to the man standing behind him.

"Agent Gibbs has poor manners my dear. Let me introduce myself. I am Javor Misic. Agent Gibbs and I go back many years." Javor turned his attention back to Gibbs. "I was sorry to hear of the loss of Agent Shepard. She was a lovely lady."

Gibbs just smirked.

"But you always did have wonderful tastes in your agents." Javor turned his attention back to Ziva. "You just seem to have chosen someone a little too young for you don't you think?"

"Are you sure?" Director Vance asked the person on the other end of the phone. "Thank you."

"They are positive." Tony questioned. "Gibbs and Ziva were kidnapped?"

Vance nodded.

"Do we know by whom?" Tony stared at the grainy image on the screen. He could make out a dark van, two men with automatic rifles. Gibbs and Ziva were being forced into the van.

"That would be by Javor Misic."

Tony and Director Vance turned to see FBI Agent Tobias Fornell walking down the ramp into MTAC.

"You have conformation?" Vance asked as Fornell came to stand next to them and handed Tony a thick folder.

"Yes. Our agents in Algeria have been watching Misic for a few months now. We know he's moving something and weren't sure until Gibbs and David came up in photos sent to us."

Tony looked down at the black and white images in the folder. They were clearer than the satellite images. The pictures showed two men approaching Gibbs and Ziva as they came out of the small airport. Guns were visible and Gibbs and Ziva went apparently without issue into the van.

"Do you think Gibbs knew?" Tony asked as he looked at the pictures.

"Knew how?" Vance asked.

"Gibbs' face. It's as if he knew Misic would be waiting for them at the airport. Almost expected them to be taken." Tony explained.

Vance looked at the images. Tony was right. Gibbs wasn't taken off guard.

"I'll be damned." Vance muttered.

"What do we do now?" Fornell asked the director.

"We?" Tony chimed in. "Since when is this a joint operation?"

Tobias turned to face Tony.

"Gentlemen." Vance interrupted the silent standoff. "FBI is now involved because of the kidnapping of Federal Agents."

Tobias raised an eyebrow and smirked at Tony.

"However, it is still our case. Our agents."

Tony smirked back at Fornell.

"McGee, I need everything you can find for me on Javor Misic and Gibbs' connection with him." Vance told the agent.

"On it Director."

"So Agent Gibbs, I understand you are here to try and stop my little side business." Javor walked behind Gibbs. "You do not like who I sell my weapons too?"

"I do not like that your breathe." Gibbs retorted causing one of the guards to use his rifle butt on the same side of Gibbs' ribs making him grimace in pain.

Ziva lunged forward in her chair and was kicked back by Javor causing her chair to fall over backwards.

"Now Agent David, is this how Gibbs taught you to behave or was it your father, the late Director David?" Javor leered at Ziva.

Ziva bit back a response. Gibbs had warned her on the plane that Javor's men would be waiting and that Javor liked to bait people.

"Don't let him in your head. Once he's in he will take full advantage." Gibbs told her.

"Understood." Ziva replied.

"Do not give him an inch Ziva." Gibbs wanted to make himself clear. "He will use your father against you."

Ziva's eyes widened.

"He'd use anyone we love against us." Gibbs gave a veiled warning about DiNozzo. He knew something was going on, but didn't know what. It hadn't affected the team yet so he chose not to bring it up. Because if it was 'real' and it did go south then Ziva would shoot Tony, of that he had little doubt.

"Even Maggie?" Ziva questioned but Gibbs did not answer her.

Tony sat in his car in Maggie's driveway. He was only coming by to keep appearances the same for Franklin. He stepped out of his car and saw his nephew waving to him from the living room window.

"Uncle Tony. Uncle Tony." Franklin jumped up and down. "Guess what?"

Tony squatted down to Franklin's eye level. "What?"

"Jamie's coming for dinner." Franklin took Tony's hand and led him to the kitchen. "And he's sweeping over."

Tony knew that part. He had called Jamie and asked if he could bunk here for the night.

"And Uncle Tony. I have a girlfriend." Franklin said proudly.

"You have a girlfriend? Do you now?" Tony looked up at Maggie who was clearly distracted. "What's her name?"

"She's Emma and she's 4."

"An older woman." Tony teased his nephew.

"No she's a girl and she likes bugs."

"Well she sounds like my dream girl." Tony looked over at Maggie who was making a salad. "Listen Franklin; go keep a look out for Jamie okay?"

"Okeene Dokee Uncle Tony."

Tony waited until Franklin was back at the window before walking over to Maggie. He put his hand on her back and rubbed between her shoulder blades.

"Just tell me Tony. I can feel it. Just tell me."

"Let's wait for Jamie to get here."

Maggie slammed the spoon in her hand down on the counter. "Damnit Tony. I'm not a child."

"Okay. Gibbs and Ziva were taken hostage in Algeria."

"He's alive."

"As far as we know. Yes, they are both still alive."

Maggie nodded. "Okay. What now."

"Mags, I can't. You know that."

Maggie nodded again. "Please don't keep me in the dark."

Tony turned Maggie to face him and hugged her hard. "I won't. I promise."

"And you didn't have to make Jamie come tonight."

Tony stepped back. "I didn't. I thought you did. He called and asked if I was going to be here tonight. Something up?"

"God I hope not."

"DiNozzo in the head?" Fornell asked McGee who was the only person in the bullpen.

"Went to Gibbs' house." McGee said without looking up at him.

"He going to tell Maggie?"

"Dunno. I suppose so."

"You have a problem with me McGee?" Fornell finally asked.

McGee looked up and glared at Fornell. "What I have a problem with is being here alone doing everyone's job. I know Gibbs and Ziva are in trouble and Tony will be right back, but where are your guys? Why isn't Sacks here annoying Tony? Why aren't you up in MTAC trying to use YOUR connections to find Gibbs and Ziva? So to answer your question Agent Fornell, yes I have a problem."

Fornell smirked. He understood why Gibbs thought McGee was ready for his own team.

"I'm here to tell you to get your ass up to MTAC in 30. My agent in the field…Agent Sacks…will be checking in from Algeria."

McGee's mouth opened and closed and said nothing.

Fornell just nodded and walked away.

"Jamie, she likes bugs too." Franklin was jabbering away as he sat on Jamie's lap at the kitchen table.

"Franklin, let your brother eat his meatloaf." Maggie reached out to pull Franklin off of Jamie's lap.

"It's okay Mom. I want to hear all about this girl Emma. I mean she likes bugs, but does she like trains?"

Franklin looked up at his brother's face and crinkled his forehead. "I don't know."

"Maybe you should find out before it gets serious." Tony told Franklin as he finished his mashed potatoes. "Mags, you don't have to cook for everyone." Tony commented about the containers of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans on the counter.

"It keeps my mind occupied." Maggie explained. "Franklin, can you go into the living room. I need to talk to Uncle Tony and Jamie."

The adults waited until Franklin was safely out of the room. Tony filled Jamie in the situation in Algeria as much as he was allowed to share. Maggie would die if she knew that Gibbs may have orchestrated his own capture as part of the plan. When he finished, he took the left overs, kissed Maggie good bye and promised he'd call when he heard anything.

"Mom, you're worried aren't you?" Jamie asked his mother as  
they sat in the kitchen drinking coffee and watching Franklin play in the other room.

"Yes. But I don't want Franklin to know."

"I understand." Jamie took a sip of his coffee. "Has Franklin asked any questions?"

"He wants to know when Gibbs is coming home and if he call, but Tony gives him 'messages' every day like Gibbs has called."

Jamie saw his mom's eyes fill with tears. "Mom. Gibbs is the best at what he does. He's a Marine. He loves you and Franklin and will do everything to make his way back."

"I know." Maggie wiped at the tears and looked at Jamie. "So; tell me what's going on with you."

Jamie stared down into his coffee mug. "I um. I'm seeing someone."

"Really?" Maggie knew that Amanda had been transferred out to California and Jamie was pretty broken up over the end of his first real relationship. "Marine?"

"Nope. Civillian. We were friends for a little bit and then it kind of grew."

Gibbs tried to take as deep as a breath as he could, the pain was bad. The second hit to the ribs most likely broke a rib. It was the middle of the night, neither he nor Ziva were sleeping. They were just biding their time.

"Agent DiNozzo, nice to see you again." Agent Sacks said on his end of the video link.

"Slacks." DiNozzo purposely said Sacks' name wrong.

"Boys." Fornell warned them and turned his attention back to the screen. "Ron, where are we at."

"McGee." Ron said from his side of the screen. McGee nodded and pulled up an aerial map. "This is the location that Gibbs and David are being held. Our man is already in place. As soon as he has the Intel on when the shipment is going out, he'll act."

"You have a man inside? Why did we not know this?" Tony asked. "And don't say need to know. Because those are our people in there and I need to know."

"It was need to know and Gibbs knew. The whole plan hinged on him getting caught. Misic would never take the chance of getting caught unless he knew that he had the chance of taking down an old enemy."

"And that enemy is Gibbs." Tony realized.

"Gibbs was the only bait that would bring Misic out of hiding." Fornell explained and then turned his attention back to the screen. "Sacks."

"I'll be in touch at 0600 your time."

The screen went dark.

"And how is this all going to go down?" Tony asked Fornell as they walked out of MTAC. "Why did it have to be Gibbs?"

"When Gibbs and Shepard were undercover in Serbia, they were involved in a deal with Misic. The deal went down bad, Shepard blew their cover unknowingly."

"She was still green then right?" Tony thought back.

"So they say. Gibbs got arrested in France and she inadvertently tipped Misic off. The deal was stopped but Misic slipped away. We've been looking for him since." Fornell explained.

"And now, Misic wants payback with Gibbs and by stopping Gibbs from stopping the deal…" Tony said out loud.

"Then Misic will show Gibbs who has the upper hand." Fornell finished.

"This has been in the works for a while."

"Not Gibbs involvement. You were supposed to go, but Vance thought Gibbs' history with Misic would sweeten the deal and draw Misic out."

"I hope your right." Tony sat down at his desk.


	8. Chapter 8

Maggie kept an eye on the black SUV three cars back. Maybe it was her imagination; maybe not. Franklin was sitting in his car seat babbling on about his day. Maggie made appropriate nods and sounds while trying not to panic. Okay, the SUV may have been there when she got to school to pick up Franklin. Maybe it was another parent who also had a child at the school AND went to the library after. Gibbs' Rule #29 was there was no such thing as coincidence. At the next stop light she picked up her cell phone and looked at the speed dial. If she was wrong, she'd be taking Tony away from finding Gibbs. Abby may be the better choice. She pressed #7 on her speed dial.

"Hey Mags!" Abby's always cheerful voice came on the line.

"Abby, I'm going to say something that may sound crazy." Maggie began. "But I think I'm being followed. Did Tony put a tail on me?"

"No Maggie, not that I know of." Abby put the phone on speaker. "McGee is here with me."

"Maggie, I don't know of any tail on you. Are you on your cell?"

"Yes." Maggie started to get concerned.

"Okay, I've got your coordinates here now." McGee mouthed 'call Tony' to Abby. "Let me see if I can get you on the closest traffic cam. Just keep driving on main roads."

"Tony, Maggie's got someone following her." Abby spit out when Tony picked up his phone.

"What?" Tony was in the bullpen with Fornell and the Director. "I'll be right there." Tony yelled what was going on over his shoulder as he ran for the stairs and took them two at a time as he ran down to the lab.

"Okay Maggie, I'm getting a close up on the plate." McGee was zooming in on the SUV Maggie said had been following her for most of the morning. "Got it."

"Mags." Maggie head Tony's voice.

"Tony, what should I do?"

"Is that Uncle Tony?" Franklin asked from the back seat.

"Yes baby. Uncle Tony say hi."

"I wanna talk to Uncle Tony." Franklin reached his little hand out for the phone.

"Not now baby. In a few minutes."

"Maggie, it's Leon." Vance said as he and Fornell joined the rest in Abby's lab. "I want you to drive to the Navy Yard. Agent Fornell has people who will follow the SUV."

"Okay." Maggie answered. McGee guided her down some main roads until the FBI car was behind the SUV and then gave Maggie the all clear to drive to the Navy Yard.

"Remember how James taught you." Tony told his sister as he watched her GPS signal from her phone move closer to the Navy Yard.

"What did James teach her?" Abby asked.

"James taught her how to spot and avoid a tail. Taught me too. Like to test me when I was in town." Tony explained. "Gibbs isn't the only man who taught me rules."

"Speaking of…"McGee steered the conversation to the elephant in the room.

"We're on that now." Fornell hung up his phone. "The tail isn't ours or yours."

"So Misic." Vance worried this would happen.

"Misic is the one who sent the tail." Tony said angrily.

Agent Dorneget met Maggie at the guard station and introduced himself.

"Mrs. Gibbs, I'm Agent Ned Dorneget, Director Vance asked me to escort you to the office." He nodded to the passenger door. "May I?"

"Please."

Agent Dorneget got into the car and looked back at Franklin.

"Hi."

"My Daddy works here." Franklin smiled at the Agent. "You know my Daddy?"

"Yes I do." The agent answered.

"Is he here?" Franklin asked wide-eyed.

"No baby, he's not home yet." Maggie put on a brave smile. "We're going to have lunch with Uncle Tony and Aunt Abby."

"McGee too? He brought me popsicles." Franklin told Dorneget.

Maggie stepped off the elevator with Agent Dorneget and was greeted by Abby, Tony and Director Vance.

"Hey little man!" Abby reached out and took Franklin from Maggie. "Would you like to come down to my lab and play with my computer?"

Maggie looked at Tony. Whenever Franklin came to see Gibbs at work, they never went beyond Gibbs' desk. Tony nodded okay. Abby made sure there was nothing in the lab that would frighten or upset Franklin.

"You be good for Auntie Abby, Franklin. Mommy will come down in a little while." She kissed her son and watched Abby step back into the elevator and let Franklin push the buttons.

Maggie turned to her brother and the Director. "Well?"

"Let's go up to my office." Director Vance gestured for her to follow.

"So this Misic is the one who has Gibbs and Ziva." Maggie said as she sat down on the couch in Vance's office. Tony handed her a cup of coffee. She sipped it slowly. "And you believe he is the one following me today?"

"We know it's his men. Fornell has his agents out following them now." Tony told Maggie as Director Vance's phone beeped.

Vance got up and answered the phone.

"Yes." He looked at Tony. "Okay. You'll bring them here? Fine."

"Fornell got them?" Tony asked.

"Yes, they'll be here in 20 minutes."

Vance sat back down in the chair next to the couch. "Fornell and I will do the interrogations."

"Director." Tony started but was stopped by Vance moving his head side to side.

"No DiNozzo. You have enough to do. This one is mine and Fornell's." Vance turned his attention to Maggie. "I want you in a safe house."

"No." Maggie said flat out.

Vance leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "I knew you'd say no. Told Fornell as much. So here is the deal. You'll have agents at the house, inside and out."

"Director, I know you mean well and I'm not dumb enough to say no, but how do I explain this all to my son? He's 3. He misses his father and having a stranger in the house…" Maggie stood up and walked over to the windows. She pinched the bridge of her nose to alleviate the pain building in her head.

"You could go down to Stillwell." Tony offered.

"Seriously? Have my 85 year old father in law watch us? Have you hit your head today?"

Vance bit back a smile. Maggie was stubborn, exactly the type of woman he'd expect Gibbs would love.

"He has a rifle." Tony gave her a half smile.

"One we hid the bullets on the last time we were there." Maggie walked back to the couch. "I'll agree to agents outside and one inside as long as I can meet them here. Franklin should meet them first."

Ned stood in the lab watching Franklin play a game with Abby at the computer. Ten minutes ago the Director had called him to let him know he'd have the night shift at the Gibbs house. After he called his boyfriend and cancelled their plans he went down to the lab.

"Nothing to worry about Dorneget," McGee patted him on the shoulder. "At least Maggie will make you an amazing meal."

"Yeah, and it'll be my last if anything happens to them. Gibbs will kill me." Ned loosened his tie.

"I'd worry if I were you to Probie." McGee agreed.

The interrogation with the suspects lead to what Fornell had suspected. He joined Vance and Tony in the bullpen after he had finished with his guy.

"They were told to photograph and send the pictures to cell phone and nothing else. No contact with Maggie and they were not to be spotted." Fornell looked at the plasma screen. There were pictures of the two men in the SUV and one of Misic.

"Well they never counted on Maggie being Maggie. She's been hyper sensitive since Gibbs has been gone."

"Got it." McGee exclaimed.

Tony was too tired to give a smart ass retort and just looked at McGee.

"I've got the GPS of the cell phone that they were to send the pics to."

"Is it moving?" Fornell asked.

"Putting it up now."

The men focused their attention to the blip on the screen and watched as it moved. When the vehicle stopped, McGee sent the intel to FBI Agent Sacks.

Gibbs lifted his head up; his side was bruised from the gun but to the side and a vicious kick from one of the guards. After spending more than 24 hours tied to the chair, they were finally moved to separate cells in the warehouse. Gibbs could see Ziva through the bars in the door. Ziva had been unhurt. Most of Misic's anger had been directed towards Gibbs. The sound of the key in the door got Gibbs' attention. Ziva's door was being unlocked. Misic stood at Gibbs' door and watched as the men pulled Ziva from her cell.

"Do not fear for Agent David, Gibbs. She is being released." Misic looked at Ziva.

"I do not believe you. You will kill me as soon as you have me away from here." Ziva protested.

"No. No I won't. See Agent David, I assumed that you were more to Gibbs than just an agent. Gibbs likes beautiful women and I was going to use you against him. But I have discovered something more important to him."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed on Misic.

"Take her back to the town." Misic commanded his guard.

"But…"

"YOU DARE DEFY ME?" Misic yelled at the man and then the sneer turned to a smile. "Agent David can do nothing to save Gibbs. It will all be over before she is back at the town."

The guard dragged Ziva out to the van and Misic turned back to Gibbs.

"I heard that you have a wife."

Gibbs struggled to stand, but the pain in his side made it hard.

"And a son."

Gibbs staggered to the cell door and charged at it with all the strength that he had.

Misic held up a picture of Maggie holding Franklin's hand as they walked from his school.

"You lay a hand on them and I will kill you."

Misic laughed and walked away holding the picture.


	9. Chapter 9

Ziva was thrown into the back of a van. She was aware that only the guard was in the car with her; the guard that took her from the cell. Why wasn't there another guard like before? The guard drove for less than a mile and pulled the van over. Ziva readied her body to attack. She moved onto her back ready to kick out at the driver.

"Don't." The driver said from the front seat. Ziva watched the driver turn and take out his knife. "I'm Agent Timmons. I'm with the FBI." The river told her.

"Why should I believe you?" Ziva shouted.

Timmons moved into the back of the van. "I'm going to take the ties off."

He moved Ziva around so he could cut the ties. Ziva quickly overtook the agent and straddled him, holding his knife at his throat. "Give me one good reason to not kill you."

"In my back pocket. Sat phone. Press dial 146."

Ziva fished the phone out of the man's pocket and kept knife on his throat as she dialed the number."

"Timmons. What is going on?"

Ziva recognized the voice. "Agent Sacks?"

"David? Is that you? Where is Sacks? What is going on?"

Gibbs sat on the floor near the cell door. Misic had dropped the picture on the floor as if to torment Gibbs. He thought that Maggie would be safe. The op was supposed to have gone smoother than it did. Misic would be in custody and he'd be home by now. But somewhere along the line the ball was dropped and Gibbs' worst fears were coming to the surface.

He looked at the picture. Maggie and Franklin were walking out of Franklin's school. Franklin held Maggie with one hand and in his other as his Thomas the Tank Engine lunch box. Gibbs tried not to let any emotion show on his face. He didn't know if he was being watched by a hidden camera. Maggie was smiling down at their son. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, jeans, sneakers and a long sleeved tee shirt. Gibbs closed his eyes; he missed her so much. Anger churned in his gut. This should not have touched his family.

"So that is the plan?" Ziva checked her gun and tucked it into her pants under her shirt.

"Yes. He'll bring Gibbs to the airport and that is when we'll take him down." Sacks confirmed.

"You should have told us about the inside man." Ziva was furious. So much had gone wrong.

"We couldn't. Timmons didn't know about the change in plans until it happened. He didn't know you were being taken at the airport until you arrived at the warehouse."

"And you trust Timmons?"

"With my life." Sacks swore.

Maggie put the last of the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. Franklin was in the living room with Agent Dorneget explaining the trains again and what they do. Maggie let the dog out into the yard and watched for a few minutes. The leaves were beginning to fall from the trees. In another week they would have to rake them up before the first frost. Maggie smiled remembering Gibbs trying to rake the leaves last fall. He made a big pile and then stuck Franklin in the middle. She had brought her camera out and took pictures of the two of them playing in the leaves. She used one of the images of Franklin and Freckles in the leaves as their Christmas card last year.

"Mrs. Gibbs." Agent Dorneget said from behind Maggie and she turned to face him. "I'm going into the office now. The agents are still outside. They'll keep a low profile like you asked, but um…your neighbor. Mr. Blake, he …."

Maggie smiled. "Let me guess. He questioned the agents right?"

"Yeah, he did." Dorneget answered.

"He's a retired Marine. He's pretty font of Franklin and he and Gibbs talk for hours about their days in the Corps. Gibbs probably mentioned he was going to be out of town and Mr. Blake, or Blackie as we call him, he was keeping an eye out. I'll talk to him later. He'll probably be checking in with the agents. Just let them know he's harmless."

"Thanks Mrs. Gibbs."

"Ned, I told you, Maggie."

"I know, but your husband." Dorneget started to say.

"Scares the crap out of you right?"

Dorneget shrugged his shoulders.

"It's okay. I understand." Maggie handed him lunch in a brown bag.

"Maggie, you don't have to make my lunch."

"Yeah, I do. And tell the agents they can pop in and grab coffee or whatever when their shift changes."

"Remember…" Dorneget started to say.

"To tell them when I'm leaving and to check in with Tony or McGee. I got it."

Gibbs fell into a fitful sleep. He dreamed he was back in his old house. He woke up on his couch, the fire burned out in the fireplace, the house cold. Kicking the blanket off his legs he looked around the living room. It looked exactly like it had before Maggie had come into his life. He got up and yelled for Maggie. He yelled for Franklin. He ran from room to room upstairs and downstairs looking for any sign of them, but it didn't exist. He opened the front door and looked outside. Misic had Maggie and Franklin in front of them and was about to lift a knife to their throats and Gibbs woke up a silent scream stuck in his throat.

Misic stood at the door and looked down at Gibbs. "Do not worry Gibbs, I will take good care of them." Misic nodded at the guard who pulled Gibbs up from the floor and led him out to a van and thrown inside. Misic climbed into the passenger seat and looked back at his old nemesis.

"Well my friend." Misic said sarcastically, "I do hope you had a good insurance plan for your family. Being an NCIS agent could not have paid very well."

Gibbs smirked at Misic. "Probably not as good as your job, but when you're in Gitmo I hope they spend it well."

Misic laughed and clapped his hands. "Ah, such a sense of humor you have Gibbs. Do you really think I will be stopped? You can not think that I allowed Agent David to live did you? Ah, no my friend, I am sure my guard took care of the lovely Agent David." Misic slapped the guard on the shoulder. Gibbs recognized the guard as the one who took Ziva out of the cell. "Tell me Abraham, did Agent David put up a fight?"

The undercover agent gave an evil smile and winked at Misic. "Not at all. Would you like to know where her tattoo is?"

Gibbs knew the guard was lying and in that second knew who the undercover FBI agent was. Ziva had no tattoos and she was still alive.

"Do we have a live feed?" Fornell asked as he stood with Director Vance and Tony in MTAC.

"Live feed in 5." McGee answered from the console.

"Everything is in place?" Vance asked Fornell.

"In place. Sacks and David are on site now, agents are in place and now we wait for Misic to show up."

"The buyers?" Vance wanted to know if they would be expecting any trouble from the buyers Misic was expecting.

"All in custody, our men are at the airstrip in their place."

"We have feed." McGee announced.

Through a grainy feed at the airstrip on one side and a night vision view on the other side of the screen, Fornell, Vance, Tony and McGee could see the airstrip. One Gulf Jetstream was waiting on the tarmac. The plane actually belonged to the FBI and was waiting to airlift the agents out when the job was done.

"We have contact." McGee advised.

The four men watched as a dark van pulled up by the plane. A tall well-dressed man got out of the passenger side.

"Missic." Vance identified the man.

They waited and watched as another man took Gibbs from the back of the van.

"He's alive." Tony said thankfully.

Without actual sound they watched the scene unfold. The undercover agents posing as the buyers greeted Misic on the tarmac. As soon as contact was made and agreements over the price of the product were done, Ziva and Sacks charged the scene.

"FBI. Guns down." Was called out by the agents.

Misic looked around and saw that all guns were pointed at him; including one now held by Gibbs. Misic's eyes widened as Gibbs moved closer, his gun pointing directly at Misic's heart.

"This is how it ends?" Misic taunted Gibbs. "Are you going to kill another man in cold blood who threatened your family?"

Gibbs smirked. He never doubted Misic had done his homework on him and knew about him supposedly killing Pedro Hernandez and if Gibbs pulled the trigger now, it would be in cold blood. Misic had no weapon. The temptation was there especially since Misic had men following Maggie and Franklin.

"No, this time, you'll pay." Gibbs nodded at the agents who put handcuffs on Misic.

Ziva walked over to Gibbs and took a good look at him. While he was trying to act like he was okay, Ziva knew differently.

"The plane is ready to fly us out now." Ziva nodded over to the Gulf Stream.

Gibbs let her put his arm on her shoulder and he leaned his weight on her. The adrenalin was wearing off and the pain in his side and shoulder from being hit and kicked added to no food or water for a couple of days hit Gibbs. By the time Ziva got him on board and strapped into the seat, Gibbs passed out.

Maggie was out in the back yard raking up the leaves. Tony had called early in the morning and was very cryptic.

"Mommy, I raking too." Franklin called from his little pile by the back stairs.

"Good job buddy. We'll go for ice cream later." Maggie said without looking up. She was taking out all of her frustrations on the dried leaves on the ground.

"Can I come too?"

Maggie froze at the sound of Gibbs voice. Her back was to the sound and she was afraid to turn around; afraid she had imagined it.

"Daddy!" Franklin squealed and Maggie realized she wasn't dreaming.

Slowly she turned around to see Gibbs standing just inside the fence. Tony was closing the fence and standing behind Gibbs. Franklin ran over to his father and grabbed on to his leg.

"Daddy, pick me up." Franklin tugged on his father's pant leg.

"Let me help." Tony picked up Franklin so that Gibbs could hold him.

"Hey buddy." Gibbs kissed Franklin on the cheek while Franklin wrapped his arms around Gibbs neck and squeezed him.

"Where have you been? You have boo boos." Franklin touched the bruises on his father's face.

"I'm okay Franklin. All better now that I'm home."

Maggie stood, feet frozen to the ground as she stared at Gibbs and Franklin. Tony must have known Gibbs was coming home when he called earlier. Gibbs was a mess. He had a cut on his lip and some bruises on his cheek. One arm was in a sling and she watched him wince when he held Franklin. He was dressed in hospital scrubs so she knew he'd been seen by a doctor.

"Franklin, let's go inside and let Mommy and Daddy talk." Tony took Franklin from Gibbs and brought him inside.

Gibbs looked at his wife standing fifteen feet away and held out his hand to her. "You gonna make me come there? Might be easier if you came here."

Maggie made it quickly over to Gibbs and wrapped her arms around his neck. With his free hand, he pulled her close and buried his nose in her neck. Maggie tried not to squeeze him too hard, she didn't know how he'd been hurt or how badly. She moved her head back and kissed him gently on the mouth because of the cut.

They stood there, foreheads touching, arms wrapped around each other for a few minutes before Franklin's voice called them inside.

"We'll talk later." Maggie told Gibbs and helped him walk up the stairs and into the house.

Gibbs was resting on his side of the bed propped up on pillows watching Maggie through the bedroom door. Tony had stayed long enough to make sure Gibbs was okay and gave Maggie the orders from the doctor. Franklin had fallen asleep on their bed while filling in his father on school and his girlfriend.

"But she doesn't like trains. She likes dolls." Franklin sat next to Gibbs and explained that she couldn't be his girlfriend if she didn't like trains.

"Well you'll meet another girl someday." Gibbs leaned in and whispered. "Like your Mom."

"Mommy can't be my girlfriend." Franklin laughed. "She's yours."

"That she is." Gibbs tousled his son's hair. "Time for a haircut buddy."

"You need one too." Franklin reached up and tousled his father's hair. "And you have whiskers."

Maggie carried Franklin into bed and went into the bathroom to wash up. Gibbs watched as she changed into the tee shirt she slept in and was shocked to see she looked thinner. Tony had commented she hadn't eaten much when he was around her. Gibbs knew when Maggie was upset; her appetite was the first thing to go. He pulled the covers back on her side so she could climb in next to him.

"Do you need any pain killers?" Maggie asked from the bathroom door. Gibbs had two fractured ribs, and an old shoulder injury was aggravated when he was knocked around. The doctors wanted him to stay in the hospital, but Gibbs vetoed that right away.

Gibbs shook his head no and patted the bed next to him. Maggie turned off the bathroom light and joined him in bed. She looked down at him.

"I just need my wife next to me and a good night's sleep."

"Or two." Maggie told him. "I want to cuddle up to you, but I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

"Not possible." Gibbs lifted the arm that didn't hurt and let Maggie slip in against him. Gingerly she moved her body down along his and rested her arm across his stomach under the bandages wrapped around his ribs. Gibbs free arm settled back down around her as she pulled the blanket up over them.

"I'm not going to ask. It's not my business." Maggie told him.

Gibbs kissed the top of her head. "Thank you."

"For?" Maggie tipped her head up to look up at him.

"If I didn't have you to come home to…" Gibbs let the sentence hang there.

"You know this isn't over." Vance said to Tony as they sat in the Director's office. "Gibbs and David are back safely, but we still need to find out who sold them out."

"You think it was one of the FBI guys. Sacks or Timmons?" Tony questioned. "What does Fornell think?"

Vance made a dismissive gesture. "Fornell doesn't want it to be one of his."

Tony's phone vibrated. Vance looked at him. "Need to take that?"

Tony shook his head. "No. Just a text message." He explained, leaving out it was from his father.

Gibbs was feeling stronger the next day and even more so the day after that he was able to go with Maggie and take Franklin to school and get haircuts.

"You up for Jamie coming over tonight for dinner?" Maggie asked as she put the meatloaf in the oven.

"I feel fine." Gibbs came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He looked to see where Franklin was before he slipped his hand under her shirt.

Maggie giggled and grabbed his hand. "You're not ready for that." She told him.

"I am if you do most of the work." Gibbs free hand broke free of her hand and found its target just as Franklin yelled from the front room Jamie was there.

"Dinner was awesome Mom." Jamie leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. "I'm gonna have to run an extra mile tomorrow.

Gibbs watched his stepson and zeroed in that something was on the young man's mind. During dinner they kept the conversation "Franklin friendly" as it was called, but Gibbs watched how Jamie toyed with his napkin and peeled at the label on his beer. The boy was definitely distracted. When Maggie brought coffee to the table, Franklin went into the living room to play with the new train Jamie had brought him.

"You spoil your brother." Maggie teased her older son. But when she sat down at the table with just the three of them there, she noticed a change in her son's demeanor. "What's wrong Jamie?" Maggie asked.

Jamie didn't answer at first. Gibbs nudged him along. "Just spill it son. Whatever it is…"

Jamie looked from Gibbs to Maggie. "Remember I told you I was seeing someone?"

"Yeah. You said you've known her for a while." Maggie remembered.

"Well;" Jamie swallowed hard. "We um…."

Gibbs felt he knew what was coming next and groaned inwardly.

"Is she pregnant?" he asked bluntly.

Maggie went wide eyed. She taught her son to be responsible. He knew better than that.

Jamie nodded his head. "Yes."

Gibbs gave Maggie a warning look to stay calm. She counted to 10 in her head.

"Okay. How do you feel about this? About her? Hell, we don't even know who she is." Maggie stated.

"You do." Jamie told his mother and stepfather. "It's Layla."

This time Gibbs' eyes went wide. "Amira's mother? Mike Franks' daughter in law."

Jamie nodded really starting to worry.

"You and Layla? For how long?" Maggie asked. She had talked to Layla several times and the girl never said anything.

"A few months. We were coming over to tell you and then Gibbs…." Jamie said. "Then she found out she was pregnant."

Maggie got up and walked out the back door. This had been too much. She sat down on the chair and shook her head. Her husband gets kidnapped. She gets followed by the kidnappers and now she finds out her son got a girl pregnant and that the girl is the daughter in law of one of Gibbs closest friends. What next?

Gibbs sat at the table and put his hand out to stop Jamie from following his mother. "You and I need to talk about this."


	10. Chapter 10

"You do know this is the first time you've been away from Franklin since he's been born." Abby put her bag down in the kitchen. "You sure about this?" she asked Gibbs.

Gibbs checked the cooler and made sure he packed everything he needed was in there.

"She'll be fine. I need some time alone with her." Gibbs walked back to the refrigerator and took out some strawberries and put them in the cooler and closed it.

"Nice touch Gibbs. Bringing champagne?" Abby smiled at him."

"Nope. Not Maggie's style." Gibbs closed the cooler.

"What's not my style?" Maggie asked as she came into the back door with Franklin.

"Auntie Abby!" Franklin yelled as he launched himself at Abby.

"Champagne." Gibbs replied as he kissed Maggie.

"Ew, nope. Stuff puts me to sleep." Maggie agreed.

"Then definitely what you don't want to bring." Abby agreed.

"Bring where?" Maggie noticed the cooler. "What's this for? And this?" Maggie noticed the duffle bag on the floor and looked at her husband. "You going somewhere?"

"No." Gibbs put his arm on Maggie's shoulder. "We are."

Maggie looked up at her husband.

"We are going away for the weekend. Me and you. Abby is going to stay with Franklin." Gibbs told her. "It'll be okay."

"But." Maggie started to say. Gibbs nodded at Abby.

Abby took Franklin out into the back yard to give Maggie and Gibbs a few minutes alone.

Gibbs turned Maggie around to face him and wrapped his arms around her waist. "A lot has happened in the past few weeks."

Maggie closed her eyes and rested her forehead on Gibbs' chest.

"We need some time alone to just sort it all through." Gibbs continued. "Abby will stay with Franklin and we'll be home on Sunday." Gibbs put his finger under Maggie's chin and tipped her face up to look at him. "Maggie."

Maggie looked up at Gibbs' face. He was right. They needed some time alone.

"Okay. When are we leaving?" Maggie asked.

"Just need to say good bye to Franklin." Gibbs nodded over at bag. "I packed everything already."

Maggie's eyebrow rose up and looked back at her husband. "Everything?"

Gibbs smirked. "All the things I thought important."

"This is where we went that first time we went fishing." Maggie noticed the signs as they drove by the lake they went fishing when they first started dating. "We camping?"

"Nope." Gibbs told her. He drove deeper into the park, down a dirt road until they came to a cabin on the edge of the lake. Gibbs stopped the truck and turned the engine off.

"Not bad Gibbs. There better be a fire place." Maggie smiled at her husband.

"Cold?"

"No. Like fooling around in front of a fire." Maggie winked at Gibbs as she got out of the truck.

"I know." He smirked as he watched Maggie walk to the back of the truck.

The cabin had electricity, but the only use Gibbs had for it was to keep the beers cold in the refrigerator. He cooked the steaks he brought with them in the fire place and that was the only source of light in the cabin as they sat on the floor, leaning against the couch watching the fire burn.

"We've never been away alone." Maggie commented.

"Nope." Gibbs replied.

"This is nice." Maggie looked around the room. The cabin had one bedroom and one bath; all very simple. The kitchen area was small, but they ate in front of the fire. Gibbs had packed everything like he told her. He'd brought sleeping bags and spread them out on the in front of the couch then grabbed all the pillows off the couch and bed and propped them up so they could lean back against them.

"Franklin would love this place."

"He'd think he was on an adventure." Gibbs smiled.

Maggie was quiet; Gibbs nudged her shoulder to get her attention.

"I'm going to be a grandmother."

"I'm going to be a grandfather." Gibbs added. "Franklin is going to be an Uncle."

"I never thought about that." Maggie pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.

Gibbs rubbed her back, he knew she was upset that Jamie got Layla pregnant, not that it was Layla, but more the fact that it happened.

"I had a long talk with Jamie yesterday." Gibbs started to tell Maggie.

Maggie turned her body so she was facing Gibbs. "I wondered where you disappeared to. You never spend THAT much time at the hardware store."

"Well I had some planning to take care of." Gibbs smiled. "I went to see Jamie on base."

"What did you talk about?"

"Layla. The baby. Amira. What they plan on doing."

"Are they going to get married?" Maggie asked.

"Layla wants your blessing first."

Maggie swore silently. She should have called Layla, but didn't know how to approach the subject gently. "Of course she has my blessing. I love Layla. I've always known how important she and Amira are to you. She's family. I just wish they had told us they were seeing each other."

"They wanted to take it slow."

Maggie gave Gibbs a sarcastic look.

"Okay, so they didn't take it slow on the sex. Who are we to say anything?" Gibbs reached out and pulled Maggie to him so that she straddled his lap.

"Point." Maggie gave to Gibbs. "But I raised Jamie better than that. He knew about protection."

This time Gibbs gave Maggie a sarcastic look. They hadn't used protection the first time either. Maggie smacked her husband on the shoulder.

"That was different and you know it. I didn't think I could have kids."

"But we did. Now there will be more kids coming. Grandkids." Gibbs ran his hands up and down Maggie's thighs and around to her backside.

Maggie could feel what was on Gibbs' mind through the thin material of the yoga pants she was wearing. She leaned forward, wrapped her arms around his neck and moved to kiss him. "I guess we should take advantage of this alone time we have….Grandpa."

"I know why you put the sleeping bags like this now." Maggie said as she lay with her head on Gibbs' chest. She could feel Gibbs laugh as his hands moved lazily up and down her back. They were stretched out on the sleeping backs next to the fire place; a blanket from the couch covered their naked bodies. Maggie ran her fingers over the greying hair on Gibbs chest. Her fingers stopped at the scar by his left shoulder.

"From a gun?" she asked.

Gibbs nodded.

"That was from Ari right? Ziva's brother."

"Yup."

Maggie leaned up on her arm and looked over her husband's body in the light from the fire. She moved up and kissed the scar on his shoulder. She found one on his side and kissed that one. Remembering the one next to his right eye she kissed that one and the one right over his top lip. She then moved off his chest and lay on her stomach, her head facing him. Gibbs got up and put a few logs on the dying fire and came back to lie on his side next to Maggie.

"See something you like?" he questioned Maggie seeing the grin on her face.

"Always." She smiled as he settled back down on the pillow. "But I don't like the scar right here." Maggie touched the still healing scar on his forearm he got from Misic's men.

Gibbs took his hand and cupped Maggie's cheek. "When I was there, all I could think about was getting home to you and Franklin." He moved his thumb back and forth on her cheek. "I had nightmares that you were gone."

Maggie's eyes questioned him.

"I'd wake up in the old house, alone. I ran through the house looking for you and Franklin. I couldn't find any trace that you had been there. When I ran out of the door, that bastard had you and Franklin and …" Gibbs rolled on his back, eyes closed and didn't finish the sentence.

Maggie turned on her side and took Gibbs' hand and kissed his knuckles. "It's over now." She held his hand in hers.

"That is why I want to step down." Gibbs's eyes were still closed as he continued talking. "I want to be home on the weekends, I want to be home at night to see you and Franklin. I don't want you to worry that someone is after you or that I'll be called away in the middle of the night and be gone for days. I'm done with that. I've had enough to last a life time."

Maggie moved closer and put her hand on Gibbs' face. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"That is why you can do this, take that life time of knowledge and pass it on to the next generation. Look what you've done with Tony and Ziva and McGee. Hell, you even made an impression on Dorneget."

Gibbs shook his head, he didn't understand.

"Ned was assigned to stay with us for a couple of nights. He knows your rules inside out and backwards."

"Really?"

Maggie nodded her head. "He's a good agent. Little green around the edges."

"McGee was too at first." Gibbs remembered.

"Well there you go. Look at how far he's come."

Gibbs pulled Maggie back down to rest on his shoulder. "I think we should come here more often. There's a dock out front. Franklin could put his boat in the water there."

"The JFK." Maggie smiled at the name. Gibbs told his son that boats needed names. He suggested naming it after Maggie, but Franklin had a better idea. "I want to name it after me and Jamie and Kewwy." Franklin often said Kelly's name with a little trouble. "We brothers and sister." Maggie knew that Gibbs was touched by his young son's gesture. After some compromise they came up with using the first letters. Of course Franklin didn't know the significance of JFK and they tried to get him to change the order but Franklin stood his ground. And the rowboat was named "JFK".

"We'd have to buy a trailer to bring it up here." Maggie told him.

"We could leave it here." Gibbs answered.

Maggie lifted her head up to look at him. "We can't just leave the rowboat here. Who would look after it?"

"We would." Gibbs started to smile.

"You're up to something." Maggie leaned up on her elbow. "Spill it Gibbs."

"You remember the McGuire's? The older couple from the diner?" Gibbs started to tell her. Maggie nodded. "When I saw them last Sunday, they told me they were moving to Arizona permanently and were going to sell this place."

"Let me guess." Maggie cocked an eyebrow.

"I said I needed to show it to you first." Gibbs pulled Maggie back to him.

"Well I guess we need to tell them they sold their cabin."

Maggie and Gibbs spent the next day fishing on the lake, making plans to expand the cabin so it would be big enough for Franklin, Jamie, Layla, Amira and the baby when they visited and any other guests. Gibbs wanted to keep it as basic as possible and Maggie agreed. With one exception; Maggie wanted ceiling fans put in the rooms and Gibbs gave in to that. They were going to extend the kitchen out just a bit, add two guest rooms, one being done in a bunk style to accommodate Franklin and the grandchildren. Maggie loved the look on Gibbs' face as he made a list of the things they needed to do. He said Franklin would love learning to fish and swim and hike the trails; but Maggie thought that Gibbs was the one looking forward to teaching their son all that.

The drive home Sunday morning was filled with talks of plans and a debate on winterizing the cabin.

"I could teach him to ice fish." Gibbs tried.

"We'd have to get a plow just to get down the driveway." Maggie countered.

"So."

"Okay, let's say this. Let's get it ready for the summer. And then NEXT winter decide if we want to use it year round. Okay?"

Gibbs didn't answer as they drove down their street.

"Gibbs?" Maggie tried to get his attention.

"You expecting company?"

Maggie looked where Gibbs was talking about. Tony's car and another were parked in front of their house.

"That's Tony's but I don't recognize the other one." Maggie looked at the other car as they pulled into the driveway.

Tony came running down the back stairs, his hands up in front of him, as Maggie walked around the truck.

"Maggie, I didn't want to call and ruin your weekend." Tony started. "Hey Boss." Tony said to Gibbs as he got out of the truck.

"Tony, who does the other car….No." Maggie read her brother's face. "The other car is Senior's."

"What the hell." Gibbs spit out as he grabbed the duffle bag and cooler from the back of the truck.

"Why is Senior here?" Maggie shoved one of the sleeping bags at her brother.

"He. Well, he wanted us to…"

"Maggie! Gibbs! Welcome home. How was your trip?"

Maggie, Gibbs and Tony turned to see Senior walking towards them.

"Senior." Maggie greeted him suspiciously as he hugged her. "Why are you here?"

"Gibbs. Good to see you." Senior shook Gibbs' hand. "I wanted you to meet someone."

"Here it comes." Tony said under his breath.

"Who?" Maggie said warily.

"My wife." Senior grinned broadly.


	11. Chapter 11

"Your new wife." Maggie said slowly.

"Yes. She's inside. Come on, let's go meet her." Senior pulled Maggie alongside him, his arm on her shoulder. Maggie looked over her shoulder and mouthed "help me" to Gibbs. Gibbs turned and stared at Tony.

"I'm not going to miss that look." Tony nervously laughed.

Gibbs kept staring.

"Gibbs, I swear I didn't know he was coming here. Abby called me and I flew right over. I had no idea he got married again."

Gibbs stared at Tony for another minute and nodded; he turned and carried the cooler and duffle bag into the house.

"Daddy!" Franklin came running out onto the porch to greet Gibbs. "I have a new Gramma." Franklin's eyebrows squished together. "It's my only Gramma." He announced and walked back into the house.

Gibbs stopped Tony before they walked in the door. "How old is she?"

Tony smiled. "You're going to be shocked."

Gibbs inwardly groaned; great, Senior married a twenty something. Gibbs hiked the duffle bag up higher on his shoulder and opened the kitchen door.

"And this is my son in law Jethro Gibbs. We just call him Gibbs." Senior was holding his wife's hand and Tony was right, Gibbs was shocked. "Gibbs, this is my wife Madeleine Thomas-DiNozzo."

"Very nice to meet you Gibbs."

Madeleine Thomas-DiNozzo was a woman in her 70's with silver grey hair, brown eyes that had many smile lines and a warm, genuine smile. Gibbs and Maggie had expected someone very young and were presently surprised.

"Mrs. DiNozzo." Gibbs shook her hand.

"Please, Madeleine or Maddy." She told Gibbs. "I've heard so much about you all."

"I wish we could say the same." Gibbs replied.

Senior put his arm around Madeleine's shoulder. "Well we wanted to keep things quiet until we had some newlywed time. I'm sure you can understand that Gibbs."

Tony leaned into Maggie. "That's more disturbing than thinking of you and Gibbs doing it. Ouch."

Maggie elbowed Tony in the side.

"I….well….." Maggie was stumbling for something to say but couldn't find the words.

"I know honey; we just dropped in on you." Senior began. "I didn't realize you and Gibbs had gone away for the weekend. We are in town for the week, I wanted Maddy to get and know her new step children."

"It is a bit of a shock Senior." Maggie agreed. "But I'm not going to throw you out."

Gibbs knew if Senior had shown up alone, his ass would be on the street; but Maggie wasn't going to do that to her new stepmother – and his new stepmother in law."

"Have you two had dinner yet?" Maggie asked.

"No we haven't; but I don't want to put you out Maggie." Madeleine answered. "You did just get home."

"It's fine. I can make some Pasta Puntanesca if that's okay."

"It's perfect, as long as I can help. I haven't had to cook for a big group in a long time and I love to cook."

Gibbs tried to hide a smile as he watched Maggie's eyes. He knew she was struggling with all of this and would rather have some time alone to process it all.

"Sounds good to me, let me just change and wash up and we can start." Maggie turned to her father. "Senior, there is wine in the cupboard…."

"No need, I brought some." He cut in "And I remember where the glasses are; beer for you Gibbs."

"Yup." Gibbs replied as he followed Maggie out of the kitchen and upstairs to put the duffle bag away.

Maggie flopped onto the bed, her head buried in a pillow. Gibbs put the duffle bag down and sat down next to her.

"I don't even know what to say."

Maggie mumbled something into the pillow.

"What's that?" Gibbs smacked her gently on the backside.

Maggie rolled over and looked at the ceiling. "I'm too old for this. In the course of a week I find out I'm going to be a grandmother, I get a daughter in law and now I have ANOTHER step mother." Maggie picked up the pillow, put it over her head and screamed into it.

Gibbs laughed. "What number is this?" he asked as he took the pillow off Maggie's face.

"Could be 4; could be 5. I really don't know. I've only met one other."

"Tony's mom." Gibbs said and Maggie nodded. Gibbs leaned over and kissed Maggie on the mouth. "Go wash up and change. We'll get through it." Gibbs kissed her again and got off the bed to go change his sweatshirt and tee shirt.

"You may get through it." Maggie sat up and watched Gibbs. "I may go crazy. You'll have a crazy wife on your hands."

"Won't be the first time I've had one of those." Gibbs said over his shoulder and was treated to Maggie's sneaker being thrown at his backside.

Dinner conversation was led by Senior telling everyone how he and Madeleine had met.

"Can you imagine; we met when I was working at the Hamptons just before I met your mother Junior." Senior exclaimed.

Tony just smiled. Senior was in dangerous waters right now. When his mother and father met is when Senior left Maggie's mother. Maggie had never talked to him about the conversation she had with Senior over three years ago, but the relationship between them seemed to thaw.

"Are you my Grammy now?" Franklin asked from his seat at the table between Maggie and Gibbs; who just looked at each other, not sure how to answer that question. Madeleine looked at the little boy and smiled.

"Well I'm your Grandfather's wife, so I'm not sure what you want to call me."

Franklin leaned his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his hands. He looked at his grandfather and then at Madeleine. He didn't know Senior that well, but knew he was Papa Tony.

"Papa Tony is Mommy's Daddy." Franklin began to say putting it all together. "Mommy calls him Senior. Papa Tony is Uncle Tony's Daddy, right?"

"You got it little man." Tony winked at him.

"And you call him Daddy." Franklin continued.

Tony nodded. He knew his nephew was smart and wondered where he was going with this.

"Hmmmm. Daddy, what's the girl version of Papa?" Franklin wanted to know.

Gibbs looked at Maggie for a lead on this and Maggie was just as perplexed.

"Well Franklin, I'm not sure what it is. What do you think you should call Madeleine?"

"Do you have other grandchildren?" Maggie asked, hoping for some kind of lead with her son's question.

"No. My late husband and I never had children." Madeleine told Maggie and then turned to Franklin. "Why don't you call me Maddy for now and later on we can think of something else. How's that."

"OK." Franklin asked to be excused from the table, decision of what to call Madeleine made.

Gibbs sat on the bed next to Franklin and closed the picture book he was reading. Franklin lay on his pillow, Bear tucked firmly into his arms, his eyes heavy with sleep.

"Daddy, why was Maddy's husband late?" Franklin wanted to know.

Gibbs looked at his son. "What do you mean?"

"She said her late husband. Did he loose his watch?" Franklin yawned and turned on his side and fell asleep.

Gibbs grinned at his son. If this is what he was like at 3, what would he be like in a few years he wondered as he leaned down and kissed him. Franklin felt a little warm to him. He put his hand on his son's forehead and realized that he was warmer than usual. And now that he thought about it, Franklin hadn't eaten much at dinner.

"Mags?" Gibbs called out to Maggie when he came back down into the kitchen. Everyone had left and Maggie was putting clothes into the wash machine.

"In here."

"Franklin seems kind of warm. Do you think he's coming down with something?"

Maggie put the last load of laundry in the dryer and set the timer. "He didn't eat much at dinner." Maggie commented.

"You noticed that too?" Gibbs leaned back against the wash machine while Maggie folded some towels.

"I figured there was a lot of commotion going on. Us coming home. New Grandmothers…"

"Mm." Gibbs murmured. "Maybe I should wake him up and give him some children's Tylenol."

"Upstairs bathroom cabinet." Maggie began to tell him.

"Top shelf." Gibbs kissed Maggie on the cheek and finished her sentence.

Maggie was restless; her mother's intuition was kicking in. She looked at the clock on her nightstand, it was 2am. She lifted Gibbs' arm of her waist and slipped out of bed.

"What's wrong?" Gibbs muttered when Maggie moved his arm.

"I want to check on Franklin."

Gibbs nodded and started to get up.

"Hon, stay there, I can do this." Maggie told him. Gibbs nodded sleepily and put his head back on the pillow.

Maggie stepped into Franklin's room and felt his head.

"Jesus." Maggie swore silently; Franklin was burning up. She moved quickly across the room and into the bathroom. Gibbs saw the light go on and woke up.

"What's wrong?" Gibbs was out of bed and next to Maggie in the bathroom quickly.

"He's still burning up."

Gibbs went into Franklin's bedroom and sat down on one side of his small bed and turned the small light on. He saw that his son's cheeks were flushed and touched them.

"His cheeks feel funny." Gibbs told Maggie as she sat down on the other side of the bed. She took the thermometer and stuck it in Franklin's ear. Franklin moaned a little and opened his eyes.

"My throat hurt." Franklin whispered.

Maggie took the thermometer out and saw the temperature. She turned it so Gibbs could see it; 102 degrees.

"Hey munchkin, I'm going to feel your throat, let Mommy know if it hurts okay?"

Franklin nodded his head and Maggie put her fingers on either side of his neck.

"Ouch." Franklin began to cry.

Gibbs looked at Maggie. "His glands are swollen and he has a fever. I think we need to go to the ER."

"I'll get the car warmed up."

"Mommy?" Franklin said with a scared voice.

"I'm going to go change and then we're going to go see the doctor. Okay?" Maggie brushed the hair off of Franklin's forehead.


	12. Chapter 12

Gibbs wanted to run every stop sign and red light between their house and the hospital; but he knew better than that. Instead, he obeyed the speed limit and kept an eye in the rearview mirror on Maggie and Franklin.

Franklin had developed a cough now that hurt Gibbs when he heard it. Maggie had mentioned the word croup. He vaguely remembered Kelly having it when she was little, but of course he was overseas at the time and didn't know what it actually sounded like. Franklin sounded like a seal barking. When they finally got to the ER, Gibbs carried Franklin in and sat down in a chair in the waiting room while Maggie took care of the insurance information. Gibbs eyed the other people in the Emergency room. There were a couple of men who looked like they had been in a bar fight, a woman who was in some kind of withdrawal and a mother and father with their child. Maggie sat back down next to Gibbs and started to fill out the insurance papers.

"Did they say how long?" Gibbs asked; he wanted his son taken care of right away.

"Soon is all they said." Maggie answered as she filled out the forms.

By 3:45 a.m. Franklin was brought into a bed in the central ER. Basic work ups of temperature, blood pressure and checking his heart and lungs were done. Franklin's cough got worse and a nurse came in to put him on an oxygen mask.

At 4:20 a.m. a pediatrician came in and informed Maggie and Gibbs that Franklin did have the croup and that they would like to do a breathing treatment. Franklin was fussy about the treatment; he fought putting the breathing part of the machine in his mouth. Gibbs sat down on the bed and pulled Franklin into his lap and showed him what he had to do; Franklin finally put the tube in his mouth and rested his head on his father's chest and let the medicine do the work. Maggie just watched them, two of the most important people in her life. She watched as Gibbs held Franklin in his arms and kissed the top of his son's head. For the first time since Gibbs told her of his plans to step down, Maggie was really happy that he made his decision. He'd missed out on so much of Kelly's life, even moments like this, sitting with a sick child; holding him and telling him everything would be all right.

By 6:00 the doctor had said Franklin could go home and medicines were issued to help Franklin. Gibbs and Maggie had Franklin back in his bed, Bear tucked in his arms and Freckles allowed staying on the bottom of the bed by 8:00. Gibbs stood behind Maggie with his arms wrapped around her, his chin resting on the top of her head. Maggie closed her eyes and leaned back into Gibbs' embrace. She was emotionally and physically exhausted. All she wanted to do was crawl back into bed and get a couple of hours of sleep. Gibbs read her mind and was about to lead her back to their bedroom when a familiar buzzing was felt in his front pocket.

"Please tell me that is you and not your phone." Maggie whispered.

"If it's me, we have a problem." Gibbs took the phone out of his pocket and groaned. It was Vance.

Gibbs left the room and Maggie stayed; keeping watch over Franklin. He stirred in his sleep and Maggie lay down next to him, pulling him into her body to calm him.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

Gibbs listened to Vance on the other end of his phone as he paced in the bedroom. The bed looked really inviting; but now was not the time.

"Are you listening Gibbs?" Vance asked.

"Yeah. Let me shower and I'll be there." Gibbs clipped the phone shut and walked back into Franklin's room. He stood at the door and gave a small grin. Maggie was sound asleep next to Franklin. Gibbs grabbed the extra blanket off the top of Franklin's toy box and covered Maggie with it.

"I'm awake." Maggie started to say; but Gibbs leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"Go back to sleep. I have to go into the office. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Gibbs took a quick shower, went back to check on Maggie and Franklin and then left for the office.

"Why did you not stay with Maggie and Franklin?" Ziva asked after Gibbs explained his unusual lateness.

Gibbs just looked at Ziva. Why didn't he just stay home? Well, he knew the answer. Vance told him there was a lead on the person who had been helping Misic and Gibbs wanted to put this chapter to bed so he could move on with his plans.

"Because I need him in MTAC." Vance answered from the stairs over the bullpen. "Ten minutes Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded and looked over at DiNozzo's desk. He lifted an eyebrow as he turned his attention to Ziva.

"He is down in the lab with Abby." Ziva answered. Gibbs picked up his coffee and went down to the lab.

Maggie wasn't sure how long she had been asleep. She heard the doorbell ringing and made her way downstairs. Looking through the glass on the door, she was surprised to see Senior and Madeleine standing there.

"Hello darling." Senior said when she opened the door. "Your brother called and told us about Franklin. You should have called earlier. We would have come right over."

Maggie was still sleep fogged and didn't understand what was going on.

"Tony, we should have called." Madeleine told her husband. "Now Maggie, what can I do for you? Can I get you some tea? Do you want to eat something? Your father and I brought some soup from a deli young Tony mentioned."

"Why don't you go have some tea and I'll go check on Franklin." Senior kissed Maggie on the cheek and went upstairs.

Maggie was still dumbfounded as she watched her father go up the stairs.

"Maggie, look at me." Madeleine put her hands on Maggie's shoulders. "You've been up all night haven't you?"

"We went to the Emergency room at 3. Got home around 8:30; 9:00. Then I fell asleep. What time is it now?"

"Close to noon. Now I'm not going to nag you, but we did come by to help. Why don't you go take a shower, I'll make some tea and warm up the soup." Madeleine had such a way with how she spoke, that it reminded her of her mother. The suggestion she was making sounded like a friendly suggestion, but it was an order. Not a mean do what you're told order but one someone makes when they know what you really need.

Maggie nodded, told Madeleine where to find what she needed in the kitchen and went up to take a shower. Madeleine was right; a shower made her feel much better and cleared the fog out of her head.

"Gibbs, I'm not saying you have to travel or put yourself in harm's way." Vance squared his shoulders as he looked Gibbs in the eyes. Vance saw the tiredness in his Senior Agent's eyes and remembered trips to the ER with Jackie and one of the kids. But there was a job that had to be done and Gibbs knew this too. "But I need you to do this and then you'll be done. You can take off time over the holidays and spend them with Maggie and Franklin and after the first of the year the new agent's will be starting."

Gibbs was between a rock and a hard place. The rock was Vance and the hard place Maggie. But he had no real choice. He nodded his head and walked out of MTAC.


	13. Chapter 13

"How are things going?" Gibbs asked when he called Maggie.

"He's awake now; Senior is reading him a story."

"What?" Gibbs was surprised.

Maggie laughed. "Senior and Madeleine showed up around lunch time. Tony must have told them about Franklin. They brought soup."

"Wow. Marriage may change him."

"It happens sometimes." Maggie teased him.

"Telling me I changed?" Gibbs smiled as he asked her.

"A little; not in bad ways though." Maggie looked into the living room and watched her father and her son sitting on the couch reading a Thomas book. "Any ideas on how long a day you'll be having?"

Gibbs looked out the windows by the bullpen. It was a beautiful fall afternoon, the leaves were beginning to fall and it was just getting cold enough to break out the heavier jackets.

"Not sure yet; some things going on here I need to work on."

Maggie knew Gibbs was holding something back. "So you may be pulling an all-nighter?"

Gibbs closed his eyes; he knew he was and Maggie wasn't going to be happy.

"Yup."

Maggie closed her eyes and counted to ten.

"You may have to count higher than ten." Gibbs said on his side of the phone.

"How high?" Maggie didn't like the sound of this.

"Pretty high." Gibbs braced himself; Maggie wasn't going to be happy.

"Jump bag packed?" Maggie held back her anger; and she was angry. They had just spent the night in the ER with their son; Gibbs had just gotten back after being overseas and hurt in the process. That was supposed to be the end of him going away from home like this.

"Maggie." Gibbs said evenly.

"No Gibbs, I'm not happy about it. I am angry, but I know better than to take it out on you. It's still part of your job. Do what you have to do. Be safe and come back home in one piece. I love you." Maggie ended the conversation and hung up.

Gibbs stared at his cell phone. Maggie had never hung up on him before. Hell, she'd rarely raised her voice to him in anger. This was new territory for them. Gibbs flipped his cell phone open, clicked on Maggie's speed dial and texted a quick message. "I love you" and sent it.

"Flight leaves in an hour. Ready to go?" Vance asked as he walked up behind Gibbs.

"Team is ready." Gibbs started walking over to his desk to collect his things.

"Everything okay Maggie?" Madeleine asked as Maggie was looking at the text Gibbs just sent her.

"Gibbs is going out on assignment and I don't know when he'll be back." Maggie sat down heavily at the table.

"He just got home didn't he?" Madeleine got Maggie another cup of tea and sat down across from her.

"Thanks." Maggie took a sip of the tea. "Yes, and I thought he was done. He only had to wrap up the case and he was going to take the time off over the holidays before starting his new job. It's so frustrating. He hasn't recovered from the last trip and that one almost killed him." Maggie stopped and looked at Madeleine. "I'm sorry, I'm venting at you."

Madeleine put her hand over Maggie's. "It's okay Maggie. Marriage is not always easy."

"No it's not." Maggie agreed. "May I ask a personal question?"

Madeleine nodded as she sipped her tea.

"How many times have you been married?"

"Your father is my second husband. I was married for 20 years to my first husband; he died of cancer five years ago."

Maggie looked over into the living room to see what Senior was doing.

"He and Franklin are sleeping." Madeleine told her. "Franklin fell asleep before the story was over and Tony just closed his eyes and joined him."

Maggie got up to go see this and sure enough, Senior was reclining on the couch, one leg on the couch, one on the floor and Franklin curled up sleeping right up on them. Madeleine had covered them with an afghan. This was a sight Maggie had never thought she'd see. She joined Madeleine back at the kitchen table.

"Your father is not a …typical grandfather, but he does love his grandsons. He shows everyone their pictures."

"I don't understand; he never calls me or emails me. This is the first time in over a year he's been to see Franklin. I know he has more contact with Jamie, but still."

"Your father is a complicated man." Madeleine told Maggie.

"And you know just how 'complicated' he is?" Maggie was going to go down this road now. "You know about his past and all his marriages?"

Madeleine smiled. "You mean do I know he's always on the lookout for the next paycheck and big money maker? Yes."

"You do?"

"I met your father when he worked on the Hamptons." Madeleine stopped. "Is it okay for me to talk about that time in your life?"

Maggie nodded and looked down into her cup. "Senior and I talked a few years ago about everything that happened then. I understand what happened, but some of it does still hurt."

"If it helps, I knew about you. He met me before he met Tony's mother. He was friends with my older brother and when he could let his guard down; he showed me the pictures he kept with him. I lost touch with him when he got involved with Tony's mother. After I got married, I'd run into him here and there with one wife or another. Your father does have his charm. I think he used his charm to hide the hurt he felt over loosing you and his second wife. He was lost all those years. Searching for something that he couldn't find and kept marrying women that he knew wouldn't last."

Maggie realized that when you looked at things in that way, her father and Gibbs had the same kind of loss; only her father had the opportunity to reach out to her and Gibbs didn't have that with Kelly.

"When did you and Senior re-connect?"

"We were in wine country at a friend's party and ran into each other. We started talking and ended up talking all night long. One night led to a weekend and we haven't been apart since."

"Do you love him? I'm sorry; I don't mean to be blunt."

"You're not blunt at all Maggie and yes I love him and I know he loves me. You know he even has a job now?" Madeleine commented.

"What kind of job?" Maggie was leery.

"I own a magazine, Wine Country Monthly, we are based out of New York and your father writes a column for the magazine now."

"A column?" Maggie was now shocked. "I know he is into wines and likes to collect them, but to write about them?"

Madeleine's laugh was soft and almost comforting to Maggie. "Yes, he likes to collect them and he knows a lot about them. He writes about a different wine or winery or even a wine shop each month. Would you like to see a column?"

Maggie nodded and Madeleine pulled out her iPad from her purse and pulled up Senior's columns.

"Wow, these are really good. And I'm not patronizing you by saying that, my father has a way with written word."

"Nice to see you call me your father."

Maggie looked to see Senior standing at the door with Franklin in his arms.

"Mommy, can I have some soup?"

Gibbs looked down at his watch again, he moved it slightly to see the brown string with four beads one it. Franklin had made one for him and one for Maggie at pre-school. The beads represented him, Maggie, Franklin and Freckles he had been told.

"Should we go over the game plan for when we touch down in the Caymans?" Tony asked as he sat down next to Gibbs.

A lead was given to NCIS that put them on the track to one of Misic's mistresses who had Navy ties and was living in the Cayman's in one of Misic's properties there. The team was being sent to find her and to find out what Misic may have at his properties regarding his business dealings.

Gibbs shook his head no. They were ready.

"Boss, are you sure about this job? We could have handled it from our end. You didn't have to come." Tony asked.

Gibbs shook his head. "Vance's orders."

Vance had told Gibbs he had to go since the Navy connection was one of Gibbs' earliest partners Madison Hellene, and they had not ended things on a good note.


	14. Chapter 14

_Navy Yard – NCIS Previous Day_

Gibbs was not happy to be ordered in to the office by Vance; but once he said the name Madison Hellene, he knew he had no choice. Madison was the reason Rule #12 existed.

McGee pressed the remote and Madison's picture flashed on the screen.

"Madison Hellene, or as she was known when she was a probationary agent at NCIS – Helen Madison." McGee explained. "She was one of Mike Franks' probationary agents when you were Boss, right?"

Gibbs hadn't gotten up from his desk to watch the background information. He knew it all, and probably more than they had in front of them.

"Yup." Was Gibbs only comment.

Helen Madison was a woman who would never stand out in a crowd. Her hair was a nondescript shade of brown, her face wasn't beautiful nor was it ugly. She was plain, but she was one of the smartest women Gibbs had ever met at the time. Even Franks would underestimate how brilliant she was until it was too late.

"Did you work with her?" Ziva wanted to know.

"I did." Gibbs answered.

"How close did you work with her?" Tony was getting curious because of Gibbs avoidance of giving any real input. Ziva elbowed him. "What was that for?"

Ziva stared at him giving him a warning look.

"We have a woman that we have to go chase down who Gibbs worked with, what's wrong with asking that question? We all worked with Lee and remember how much we didn't know."

Gibbs closed his eyes at the mention of Agent Lee's name. He remembered having to shoot through her to kill the man blackmailing her. He had no choice with Lee, just like having no choice with letting Madison get away back then.

McGee continued with his background on Madison.

"Helen worked on Mike Franks team from 92-94 as a Junior Agent. That was when you joined right Boss?"

Gibbs didn't answer.

"Franks' notes on her said she was an average agent, she worked better in the information gathering side of the job."

"Sounds like you McGee." Tony cut in and McGee ignored him.

"And in 94 it says that she left NCIS, whereabouts unknown until facial recognition scans on people frequently seen in Misic's company identified her."

McGee pulled up a newer image and placed it next to the image on file from her NIS days.

"Wow, talk about a makeover." Tony commented. "Looks like she had some serious….What was that for?" Tony asked Ziva when she elbowed him in the side.

Gibbs finally walked over from his desk and looked at the two pictures. He wasn't fooled by the change in makeup, hair color and whatever else she'd done to her body, the eyes were the same. Those eyes were the ones that looked straight into his as she stuck the knife into his side.

_Present Time_

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay? We could delay our flight." Senior asked Maggie as they sat at the kitchen table.

"No, really Dad, you and Madeleine have to get back to New York." Maggie saw her father grinning from ear to ear. "What?" she asked.

"You've been calling me Dad a lot more. I like the sound of it." Senior reached out and put his hand over hers.

"Well as long as you stop disappearing on me, then I'll keep calling you it."

"Sounds like a deal." Senior told her. "But I do mean it, Maddy and I can stay a few more days with you. I can work from the computer and I don't like leaving you all alone with Gibbs out of town."

"I've been alone when Gibbs has been out of town before. Besides I'm not alone; Jamie and Layla are here."

"Speaking of them, don't let them elope or run to City Hall and get married. Let's make it a family affair, really welcome them into the family. Will Jamie be adopting Amira?"

"I honestly don't know what they are doing. I was hoping to have them over … when Gibbs comes home but I don't know how long he'll be away. Did Tony say anything to you?"

Senior shook his head. "Listen honey, I'm a phone call away and a short plane ride down."

"I really do appreciate that Dad." Maggie leaned over and kissed her father on the cheek. "And either Jamie or I will let you know what he and Layla plan on doing."

_Cayman Islands Compass Point Resort_

They arrived at the room arranged for them and Gibbs started to count in his head. It took less than 2 minutes before the arguing for who gets which room started. Gibbs simply walked to the master bedroom and dropped his bags on the bed before bringing his lap top out to the dining room area to set up.

"I'm the senior agent; I should get my own room." Tony faced off with Ziva over the other single bedroom.

"And I am the only woman."

Tony and Ziva stared at each other until Tony finally backed down and dropped his stuff off in the third bedroom with the two beds. He went out into the dining room area to look for Gibbs, but found him standing on the balcony looking out over the beach and ocean.

"You okay Gibbs?" Tony only called Gibbs by name when he was speaking to him as his brother in law.

Gibbs took in the scene in front of him. "I should be at a place like this with Maggie."

"Maggie would burn like a lobster here." Tony commented and Gibbs smiled. Maggie was too fair skinned to survive in a place like this without some serious sunblock.

"We'll find Madison and bring her back to the States and you'll be back home, in the cold fall weather, but you'll be home." Tony stopped. "I should bring Franklin back something from the gift shop. I mean I am his favorite uncle."

Gibbs turned to go back inside. "You are his only uncle."

Madison Hellene looked at the report her man had given her. She looked at the images in the folder. Gibbs had finally arrived along with his team. She picked up the one image of Gibbs and studied it as she walked out onto the patio of her home. Madison ran her finger over the image of Gibbs' face. He'd obviously aged in the past ten years, but the blue eyes remained the same. A glint on his left hand caught her attention. A wedding ring. That was unexpected.

"Anton." Madison yelled to her right hand man. "Anton!"

"Ms. Hellene." A lethal looking bald man with a slight English accent stepped out onto the patio.

"You said the report on Special Agent Gibbs was current." Madison spat out.

"It is the most current report on his work with NCIS." Anton explained.

"I want the most updated report on his personal life; in particular, the newest Mrs. Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

"Yes ma'am." Anton bowed slightly and walked back inside the home.

Madison looked at the picture as she slowly crumpled it in her hands. She was supposed to be the one he married. She was supposed to be the one who put the ring on his finger; not some other woman.


	15. Chapter 15

"I do not understand why we cannot just go up to the door and arrest her." Ziva sat at the dining room table looking at the information gathered on Madison Hellene.

"The Caymans don't have an extradition treaty with the US." McGee started to explain. "And technically we have nothing to arrest her on."

"Besides bad judgment in men?" Tony interrupted and Gibbs smirked.

"So then why are we here?" Ziva wanted to know.

"Because we need her to make an attempt on my life." Gibbs explained.

Tony, Ziva and McGee looked to the end of the table at Gibbs.

"I'm sorry Boss, but did you just say she had to try to kill you?" Tony was confused.

"Yup." Gibbs finally looked up at his agents. "And trust me, she will try." Gibbs got up and left the table.

"Hold on Gibbs." Ziva stood up and blocked Gibbs from leaving the room. "You want her to try and kill you."

"Yeah, and when she does, we can arrest her on charge of assault on a Federal Officer."

"What makes you think she will want to kill you Boss?" McGee asked.

"Because she tried once already and it didn't work. She likes to finish what she started."

_Flashback 1994_

_Gibbs sat at his desk looking at the note Helen had left tucked into his keyboard. He crumpled it up and tossed it in the trash._

_"Problem Probie?" Franks asked as he walked by Gibbs' desk._

_"No Boss. Nothing I can't handle." Gibbs replied._

_"Good. Find Helen and meet me out front." Franks walked away leaving a trail of cigarette smoke in his wake._

_Gibbs realized his mistake the minute he made it. They were undercover as newlyweds while they waited for a Petty Officer who had gone missing after stealing money from a payroll office to show up. The newlywed cover had ben Helen's idea since the only room left at the resort was the Bridal Suite. He should have chosen to sleep on the couch, but he didn't. Too much whiskey and too many arguments on the phone with Diane made the decision to let things go too far with Helen happen. After it was over, he lay on the bed staring at the ceiling. His cell phone rang, Diane's number flashed across the screen. He ignored the call and slipped out of bed and out of the room._

_"Ready Gibbs?" Helen asked as she walked to the desk. "Did you get my note?" _

_Gibbs picked up his pack and walked around his desk past Helen. "Franks is waiting."_

_While at the scene, Gibbs maintained a business as usual attitude; only addressing Helen when he needed to. Franks noticed the tension but left it to his agents to figure out. On the ride back to the office, Gibbs and Helen were alone in the car._

_"You've been very quiet hon." Helen looked over at Gibbs who was driving. He suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned the car off. "Really Gibbs…here? In the middle of the day?" Helen moved closer to Gibbs._

_Gibbs got out of the car and slammed the door shut. He walked to the back of the car and leaned against the trunk. He swore at himself mentally for a few minutes before getting back in the car. He looked over at Helen who was smiling at him._

_"Listen Helen, I shouldn't let what happened happen. It was a mistake."_

_"Don't say that Jethro, it wasn't a mistake." Helen reached for his hand but he pulled it away._

_"It was a mistake." Gibbs started the car and paused. "Diane and I are getting married this weekend."_

Present Day-Cayman Islands

Madison looked down at the folder in her lap. She took a sip of her champagne as she looked at the information about Gibbs' wife.

"Margaret "Maggie" DiNozzo Sullivan Gibbs. Age 48." Madison read out loud.

"Married to Detective James Sullivan (deceased 2003) 1993-2003"

"One child Lance Corporal James "Jamie" Sullivan aged 28"

"So Gibbs is a stepfather. Interesting." Madison took another sip of the champagne.

"Married L.J. Gibbs 2013; one child- Franklin Michael aged 3."

Madison stared at the last line. "Franklin Michael aged 3. – So he has a son of his own." Madison dropped the typed sheet and picked up the pictures Misic had taken when his men were following Gibbs' family. Maggie was 10 years younger than Madison but looked even younger and this made Madison angry. Maggie had shoulder length red hair "Of course it's red, they all had red hair." Madison looked over how Maggie was dressed in jeans, sneakers and a short sleeved shirt. Madison had to admit that Maggie took good care of herself. But it was the picture of Gibbs' son that captured her attention. Franklin Gibbs had his father's blue eyes and dark hair. His haircut was cut very short, almost military like his father's. Madison smiled as she traced her fingers over the boy's face. He could have been their child. Should have been Madison thought angrily and threw the folder and its contents on the floor. She picked up her champagne glass and drained it in one sip as she walked over to the patio's low wall. She should have been Mrs. Gibbs. The Mrs. Gibbs. Not one of the 4 that followed. No one could have loved and taken care of Gibbs the way she could have. She would have made Gibbs forget his first wife and child, the one no one ever knew about, but she did. When she met Misic and saw the range of information she had at his fingertips, she used it to find out everything she could about Gibbs and his life. She kept tabs on him; waiting for the moment he would come back to her.

"And you have." Madison said out loud as she looked over the waves crashing on the beach in the moonlight. "And now I'll finally get to show you how wrong you were about me."

Maggie sat at the kitchen table looking at the rough drawn plans she and Gibbs had made for the cabin. She hadn't heard from him for 2 days now and desperately wanted to know if he was okay. Abby had called earlier; but she had no news for Maggie.

"Vance is very closed mouth about this case. All I know is it involves a former agent connected with Misic and that is why the entire team went. Where ever it is that they went and even if I knew I probably couldn't tell you." Abby apologized. "I'm sorry Maggie."

"Don't apologize Maggie."

"It's a sign of weakness right?" Abby finished Gibbs rule.

"No, never between friends Abby and you are more than that, you're family. No I know you can't tell me, I just needed to know … well I don't know what I needed to know."

Maggie looked at Gibbs' last text "I love you" and closed her eyes.

"What you looking at Mommy?" Franklin asked as he climbed up into the chair next to Maggie.

"I am looking at floor plans." Maggie pulled Franklin onto her lap.

"What are floor plans?"

Maggie explained what floor plans worked to her son.

"And whose house is this?"

"Well that is where Daddy and I went when Abby stayed with you. Do you remember?"

"Yup."

"It's our house now." Maggie squeezed Franklin.

"Are we going to live there? I like this house."

"No. This house." Maggie pointed to the drawing. "Is where we can go in the summer time and you can learn to fish and swim and we can go on the weekends."

"Can Daddy come?"

Maggie felt a lump in her throat but she bit it back down. "Daddy and Jamie and Layla and Amira and …"

"Grampy Jack and Papa Tony and Nana Maddy?" Franklin was getting excited.

"Everyone. See we're going to add a couple more rooms for guests."

Franklin climbed down off his Mom's lap. "I've got to get going."

"Where?" Maggie laughed at her son's eagerness.

"I have lots of pictures to draw for the new rooms."


	16. Chapter 16

"I still do not think this will work." Ziva said quietly enough so the people around her wouldn't hear but that Tony and McGee could pick up where they were located. She walked through the restaurant and down to the beach.

"It will, have faith in the Boss." Tony eyed the crowd at the restaurant. The Balcony was a four star restaurant in Georgetown that was reportedly Madison's favorite place to eat. Tony could see why. There were muslin curtains pulled back to let the sea breezes flow through the rooms. Couches were set up around a bar that only served drinks made with rare rums. Tony sipped his lime flavored seltzer water wishing it was a rum mojito as his eyes wandered over to the boat slips near the beach.

"The Lady Hellene just docked Boss." Tony told Gibbs who was sitting at the beach bar just outside the restaurant. Gibbs nodded that he heard Tony and kept looking straight ahead. Madison would come to him.

The Lady Hellene was a 75' Speed Cruiser with her name written in silver across the black stern. The boat was listed to Javor Misic, who obviously named it after Madison. In the documents that McGee was able to locate – with some 'illegal' hacking on his part – Madison Hellene name was on the house on Grand Cayman, the boat, several cars, jewelry and property in Miami.

McGee sat at the opposite side of the bar from Gibbs, Ziva joined McGee and they pretended to be a couple on vacation. Tony still smarted over the pairing of the two of them, but he knew now wasn't the time to be petty. Ziva and McGee were only pretending, he had nothing to worry about. Madison Hellene was helped off the boat by one of her body guards and walked gracefully down the dock to the beach. She looked over at the beach bar and saw Gibbs sitting there. With a flick of her wrist she dismissed the bodyguard and walked over to the free seat next to Gibbs.

"I'd like a Seven Fathoms." Madison told the bartender what she wanted and he nodded to her as he called up to the Rare Rum bar and asked for the drink.

"Some things never change Helen." Gibbs sipped his beer and kept looking straight ahead. "You want things that aren't available."

Madison hid the sting of Gibbs' words and smiled tightly. "Nice to see you too Leroy. But here; I can have anything I want. Even you."

Gibbs smirked, kept his eyes straight ahead and took another sip of his beer.

"Don't think so hmmm? So tell me then Gibbs, after all the years we've been apart; why can't you look at me? Are you afraid?"

Gibbs put his drink down and turned his head to look at Madison. The mousy woman who he had worked with all those years ago, the one who stuck a knife in his side and left him to die, was no longer there. The woman sitting beside him had hair bleached blonde by a hairdresser and days in the sun, her skin tanned and toned, barely a wrinkle on her face thanks to a plastic surgeon and one who did work in a few other places that were now bigger. But one thing remained the same; the look in her amber eyes, there was no light in those eyes.

"Nope." Gibbs replied to her question.

"So what brings you down here if not to see me?" Madison took her drink and sipped it and abruptly spit it out. "This is not what I asked for!" she yelled at the bartender. Ziva and McGee looked up at her as did anyone in hearing distance. "Are you stupid? Get me the one I asked for or I'll have your job."

The bartender apologized profusely and personally ran up to the other bar to get the right drink.

"See Gibbs, some people do think I'm important." Madison told him as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Some people think that I matter."

"Nah, What I see a guy running to get a drink for a woman who is a nut job."

Tony smirked hearing Gibbs call her that while McGee and Ziva tried to look like a convincing couple while Madison tried to keep her composure.

"Didn't think I was a nut job that night we were undercover. No, I think you thought I was a warm body to lose yourself in."

This time Tony choked on his drink when he heard that. The three of them had assumed something physical had gone down between Gibbs and Madison, but hearing it put like that made him shudder.

"Nope, didn't think you were a nut job then, not until you stuck a knife in my side and left me to die."

"Didn't die." Gibbs finished his beer.

"No, you didn't. You went on to make sure I was ruined in the agency."

"Did that all on your own. Look at who you moved on to when you left."

"You jealous that I went from you to your worst enemy? The only man you couldn't catch?"

"Caught him now." Gibbs smirked.

"And now you're here, why are you here Gibbs? You can't extradite me to the states on any charges you think you may get on me."

Madison looked at Gibbs and down at his hand and saw the simple gold ring on his left hand.

"That is unless you're tired of wife number 5. What was her name..Ah yes, Maggie. Such a cute name."

All of the agents listening tensed, waiting to see what came next. Gibbs simply stood up, tossed some money on the bar and started to walk away.

"Leaving so soon? Does Maggie have you on such a short leash that you can't talk to an old friend? Speaking of Maggie, how is your son Franklin doing? He looks just like you."

Gibbs spun so fast that it caught Madison off guard. One moment he was several feet away, the next he was inches from her face, his hands braced on the arms of the chair she sat on. A thousand threats ran through his head to say to her, but he didn't. He just stared at her, gave the chair a small push and walked away. Madison smiled at his retreating form and finished her drink. She flipped open her cell phone and pressed a number on her speed dial.

"I'm ready now." Madison told the man on the other end and hung up.

Tony met up with Gibbs and drove back in silence to their hotel; McGee and Ziva arrived a few minutes later.

"You knew she'd check up on you Boss." Tony said as he watched Gibbs pace in the living room. "Your being married was something she was going to find out about."

"I know." Gibbs responded.

"What do you want us to do Gibbs?" Ziva asked.

Gibbs looked at each of his agents and then back to McGee.

"McGee I need you to get a message to Vance. You need to give it exactly as I say. Understand?"

"Understand Boss."

Vance pulled up in front of Maggie and Gibbs' house and paused before he rang the doorbell. Maggie was home, her car in the driveway.

"Want me to ring the bell Director?" Ned Dorneget asked.

"No." Vance reached out and just as he was about to ring the bell, the door flung open and Maggie stood there, a look of fear in her eyes.

"Tell me straight out." Maggie demanded and Vance realized that Maggie thought they were here to give bad news.

"No, it's not that Maggie;" Vance started. "May we talk inside?"

Maggie stepped back and let them into the house.

"What can I help you with Director?" Maggie stood with her arms folded across her chest. Vance recognized those angry wives pose. Jackie had given her that look many times before.

"Gibbs contacted me and asked me to give you a message."

Maggie nodded, mildly angry at Gibbs for not trying to get in touch with her himself.

"He said to go check measurements."

Maggie looked confused. "That's all he said? Go check measurements?"

"We wanted to put you in a safe house for a few days, but this was the response he gave me. Do you know what it means?"

Slowly Maggie began to understand the meaning. Gibbs wanted her to spend a few days at the cabin. The one that only the two of them knew about.

"I understand. I'll take care of that tonight."

Vance nodded. "I'd like you to take Agent Dorneget with you…in case you need help with the measurements."

Maggie knew that Vance wasn't going to try and ask where she was going, there was obviously some kind of leak that needed to be plugged and Vance wasn't going to risk Maggie and Franklin.

"That's fine. If that's okay with Agent Dorneget."

"It's fine with me Maggie."

Vance looked at Dorneget when he used such a casual answer with Maggie. Dorneget mumbled an apology under his breath.

Dorneget went to move his gear bag from Vance's car and bring it in the house leaving Maggie and Vance alone for a moment.

"Maggie, he will be coming back. We need to find the ….." Maggie cut Vance off by raising her hand to him.

"I don't want to know. I just want him home safe and in one piece, just like the rest of the team, and then after that….."

"Gibbs will be done and he can move on to the training job."

Maggie nodded as Vance stepped down the porch stairs. He stopped and looked back at Maggie.

"You know, I wish you had gotten to know Jackie, she would have liked you."

Maggie gave a small smile. "From what I've heard, I would have liked her too."

Cayman Islands

Madison walked out onto the balcony of her bedroom; the sun was just coming up. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She never grew tired of the salty air smell.

"You seem content with yourself."

Madison turned to the male voice coming from the table and chair on her balcony.

"I am. After all this time, I will finally get my way." Madison walked over to the table and picked up a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

"I wouldn't count my chickens yet luv."

Madison looked down at the bald man with the heavy five o'clock shadow sitting at the table. She plucked the newspaper he was reading off his lap and sat down in its place. She traced her fingers along the contours of his head and along the fine black elastic that held the eye patch over his missing eye.

"Trent, do you doubt me?" Madison asked.

Trent Kort didn't doubt Madison; he just knew Gibbs and his team better.


	17. Chapter 17

Trent Kort didn't doubt Madison; he just knew Gibbs and his team better. There was no way this was going to end easily.

"Don't look so down darling." Madison kissed the top of his head. "Frown lines give you wrinkles."

"I could go to your guy and get rid of them." Trent shot back.

Madison got up and slapped Trent across the face. "That is not funny."

Trent watched Madison storm back inside the bedroom and touched his cheek. Nothing about Madison Hellene was funny. It hadn't been from the start and he hated her more and more the longer he spent time with her.

(Gibbs Cottage)

"This place is amazing Maggie." Dorneget commented as he put the bags down in the living room. "It reminds me of a place I went to with my Mom when I was younger."

Maggie looked around at the living room again and smiled. "It is nice. We can't wait to add a couple more bedrooms to it so more people can stay here with us."

"Where do I sleep Mommy?" Franklin walked back into the room, moving around checking the inside of the fireplace out looking so much like his father it made Maggie smile sadly.

"You get to sleep in the room over there." Maggie pointed to the other room.

"Can Dornie sleep there too?" Franklin picked up a stick next to the fireplace, examined it and put it back down.

"I'm going to sleep on the couch little man." Dorneget told Franklin.

"Can we go exploring Mommy?"

"After I put the groceries away we can."

"How about I take him outside and check things out." Dorneget offered to give Maggie a few minutes to herself.

Maggie appreciated the time alone. Since Vance had shown up at her door earlier in the day, her life had become a flurry of activity. She had to pack for an unknown amount of time, grab whatever food she could to bring, pack the dogs things and bring up sheets and towels. The McGuire's had left all of the linens with the cabin, but Maggie wanted to make sure Franklin had things from home. After she made the beds, put blankets and a pillow on the couch for Dorneget, Maggie began to heat up some chili she brought from home and watched Dorneget and Franklin walking around the yard by the water. Franklin was pointing things out, no doubt asking endless questions that Dorneget was patiently answering. Maggie took out her phone and scrolled to the saved text message from Gibbs. More than anything in the world, she wanted to text him, but Vance had been very explicit – if she wasn't going into a safe house, she could have no contact with Gibbs while he was gone. It was for hers and Franklin's safety.

Gibbs lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. He knew Maggie would understand his message and by now, she and Franklin were at the cabin. Reaching over to the night stand he picked up his phone and flipped it open, it was 2:00 a.m. there in the Caymans, which meant it was 1:00 a.m. where Maggie was. He clicked on the text icon and saw Maggie's last text to him. He stared at it for a few minutes and ran his hands over his face and rested his arm over his head. He wanted this over, he wanted to be lying in bed next to Maggie, holding her close and listening to her breath as she slept. But before that could happen, he had to take care of Rule #45 and clean up his mess.

Kort sat in the corner of the beach bar in the touristy part of the beach. The music was loud, the food was passable and overpriced and best of all, there was no way in hell Madison would set foot in a place like this. That is why he chose it. Despite the darkness in the room, he kept his sunglasses on while he waited.

"Opening a charm school here in the Caymans Gibbs?" Kort commented when Gibbs finally arrived and sat down across from him.

"Only if you're the mascot." Gibbs shot back. "Nice place. Afraid of being seen in public with me?"

"Afraid of you blowing my cover."

A waitress brought two beers over to the table and Kort waited until she was gone before continuing.

"I need you to back off Madison Hellene." Kort told Gibbs.

"Not gonna happen." Gibbs told him.

"You owe me." Kort reminded him.

"Paid that debt."

"There is no way in hell you'll get her Gibbs. Let me do my job. Back off."

Gibbs sipped his beer and grinned.

"Damn it Gibbs, I'm trying to help you out here." Kort snapped barely keeping his voice down.

"You can help me by turning her over."

"You know I can't do that."

"Then we have nothing else to talk about." Gibbs got up to leave.

"I'm the only reason she's not going after your wife and son."

Gibbs froze and stared down at Kort.

"Thought that would get your attention." Kort nodded at the chair indicating that Gibbs should sit back down.

While Gibbs and Kort were meeting in the bar, Ziva and McGee kept watch outside the bar while they had their drinks at the cantina across the street. Tony was on Madison patrol. Today he decided to see how her body guards would react to a stranger walking on her private beach. Dressed in a pair of khaki cargo shorts, a white linen shirt and his favorite fedora, he parked his car a few blocks down from Madison's home and started walking down the beach. He stayed close to the water and occasionally stopped to pick up a shell or a piece of sea glass and would stick that in his pocket. When he crossed the line to her property, he stood with his back to the house and looked out at the water and waited to see if anyone would come out.

Madison walked out of the house and saw the stranger standing down by the water. He looked handsome from this far away, definitely not like Kort. This man had a full head of hair under that silly hat he was wearing.

"Should I go scare him off?" the body guard asked.

Madison tipped her head and looked over at the man on the beach. "No, he looks harmless enough. I'll go talk to him."

"But said…."

"Oh the hell with what Mr. Kort said, I think I can handle myself." Madison practically screamed at the bodyguard as she walked down the beach towards Tony.

Tony had heard part of the yelling and was pleasantly surprised when Madison walked up next to him.

"You know you are trespassing." Madison said calmly when she stopped next to Tony.

"I couldn't help it. The view;" Tony looked down at Madison and continued "is breathtaking."

Madison was dressed in a bikini that should have been on a woman who looked like Ziva, Tony thought – or even Maggie would look better in it than Madison did; but he quickly put that out of his mind.

"I believe I saw you last night at the Balcony. You were up in the Rum bar."

Tony gave Madison his best smile.

"I thought I was being subtle." Tony put his hand out. "I'm Tony."

Madison took his hand. "I'm Madison. And no, you weren't being subtle, you were being obvious."

"Well you were with another man." Tony kept his eyes on Madison's. "Was he your father?"

Madison let out a peel of laughter that ran down Tony's spine.

"No, he was an old …. Acquaintance of mine. Someone who came to try and win me back I'm afraid."

"So if I were to want to ask you to dinner tonight; I would have competition then?"

Madison thread her arm through Tony's and led him back to the house. "No, no competition at all."

Gibbs slammed the door to the suite shut and threw his hat across the room.

"Where's DiNozzo!" he barked at Ziva and McGee.

"He's watching Madison like you told him too Boss." McGee answered.

Gibbs stormed into his room and slammed his door shut. McGee and Ziva heard him swear a few times and it sounded like he slammed the bathroom door in his room too.

"This is not good." Ziva whispered to McGee.

McGee nodded his head in agreement.


	18. Chapter 18

Gibbs slammed his fists down on the countertop. He stared at his reflection in the mirror and fought the urge to slam his fists into it. Why the hell was Trent Kort involved in all this and what was it going to cost Gibbs to end this once and for all. He turned on the faucets and splashed cold water on his face before joining Ziva and McGee in the other room.

"Where is DiNozzo's phone?"

McGee tapped a few keys on his key board. "He's showing three blocks from Madison's home. And it looks like he's just sitting there."

"He is not answering." Ziva hung her cell phone up.

"Is there something we should know Boss?" McGee looked at Gibbs.

"Kort is involved." Gibbs told them.

"Trent Kort?" Ziva was amazed. "I thought he was dead."

"No, not yet anyways."

"Then why is he here and with Madison Hellene?"

Gibbs sat down at the table and flipped open the folder nearest to him, less to read it than to center himself some more.

"McGee, can you get into the files on Kort?"

"As in the CIA files?"

Gibbs just looked at McGee and didn't answer.

"I don't think I can from here, but Abby can help me on her end."

"I will try some of my contacts." Ziva opened her lap top and started typing on her end.

Gibbs opened his phone and sent a secure e-mail to Vance asking for face time with the director and with Fornell.

Vance stood in front of the screen with Fornell beside him. They looked up at Gibbs' face on the big screen in MTAC.

"You don't look like you've spent much time out in the sun Jethro." Fornell teased his friend.

"I'd rather be home with my wife and son Tobias, but I'm not. Now can either of you tell me why Trent Kort is here in the Caymans with Madison?" Gibbs said gruffly.

"From what we've heard he's there in deep cover." Fornell told him. "He's been working his way up the Grenouille's former chain."

"Grenouille's been dead for a couple of years, what has he been doing?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"Well there was the Port to Port killer."

"Yeah, I remember THAT Fornell, but why now? Why is he down here now? Is he the reason Misic knew where we were?"

Fornell and Vance exchanged looks.

"If there is something you need to tell me you need to do it now."

Vance knew that Gibbs was getting irritated and chose to not call him on his town of voice.

"The CIA sent Kort back undercover after the Port to Port incident was over. He went to Tel Aviv to connect his way up the ladder to Misic, but when he got close he found out that it wasn't Misic who was behind all the arms deals."

Gibbs snorted and shook his head. "Don't tell me what I think you're going to tell me."

"I am." Vance advised.

"You are going to tell me that once Grenouille was out of the picture SHE became the force behind Misic?"

"Misic was one of Grenouille's men and when Grenouille was out of the picture, Misic moved up the ranks. We never understood how he managed to do it so quickly and thoroughly, but we now know he had help." Fornell told him.

"Madison left the agency in disgrace after what happened here and she wanted revenge against you and Mikes and sought out the one man who got away from both of you."

"Misic" Gibbs said.

"And made herself a powerful enemy." Vance concluded. "You need Kort's help to bring her down."

Gibbs cut the feed off with a press of the finger and leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes.

_Gibbs parked his truck in the driveway and sat in it for a moment. The house was dark behind him, quiet and cold. His marriage to Diane had ended and she had moved on to another man. He'd met FBI agent Tobias Fornell and tried to warn him what he was getting himself into, but that sword had a double sided edge. Diane deserved someone who could love her and she wasn't the easiest woman to live with. Getting out of the truck and walking into his house he thought of the irony of that. Gibbs wasn't easy to live with either, he'd tried to move on with his life but ended up back where it was, where it was safe and he couldn't get hurt. Back in his basement with his memories of Shannon and Kelly._

_After he changed out of his work clothes and ate a can of beans right out of the can, Gibbs made his way down to the basement. He began sweeping up the remnants of the "Diane" which he had been building. After a few shots too many of Jack Daniels, he'd taken a sledge hammer to the hull of the boat which was currently being used as kindling in his fireplace._

_The silence in the basement was deafening, so Gibbs flipped on the radio. There was a baseball game on, he had no idea who was playing and didn't care as he poured bourbon into the coffee mug Kelly had given him one Christmas. He swallowed half of the mugs contents and turned back to sweeping the floor. _

_Helen stood in the shadows under the stairs in Gibbs' basement. She'd been watching him for days since that bitch of a wife left him. Helen waited for Gibbs to call her and tell her he was wrong for marrying Diane, but the call never came. Just like when Mike Franks had her fired from NIS for behavior unbecoming an agent. All she did was call Gibbs a few times…a day…for a month. And was it her fault if Gibbs marrying that awful woman drove her to drink on the job? No, it was Gibbs' fault. If he hadn't left her for that woman, then she would be upstairs preparing a lovely dinner for her husband and maybe even their child. Instead, she was in the shadows watching and waiting for Gibbs to turn around and see her._

_Gibbs heard the movement even with his alcohol dulled senses. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge as he continued to sweep the floor. Someone was down here with him in the basement. He moved closer to the drawer where he kept his spare gun. When he was close enough, he lifted the flap and felt for the gun, but it was gone..._

"_Looking for this?" _

_Gibbs spun around to see Helen walking out from under the stairs._

"_Helen." Gibbs said softly as he propped the broom against the counter, leaned back against it and crossed his arms over his chest._

"_Miss me Gibbs?" she asked as she walked towards him, gun pointed at him. _

_Gibbs put out his hand to Helen. "Give me the gun Helen and we can talk."_

"_Talk about what? The mistake you made choosing her over me? Or the mistake you made making sure I got fired from NIS?" _

_Gibbs gave her a crooked smile. "Yeah, we can talk about all of that."_

_Helen stood in front of Gibbs and with one hand gave him the gun back while her other hand whipped out so fast that Gibbs didn't know about the knife until he felt it in his side._


	19. Chapter 19

"McGee…."

"Yeah Boss."

"Can you do that thingy with the Satellite phone to make it bounce all over the place?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"Sure Boss. But the phone is safe. You can call NCIS and no one can hack into the call." McGee told him.

"It's not NCIS I want to call." Gibbs stood next to the table and held the sat phone in his hand. "I need to make a call that won't be found."

McGee understood what Gibbs was asking and clicked open the program on his laptop. Five minutes later he gave Gibbs the okay to make his call. Gibbs took the sat phone into the bedroom and closed the door. He needed to talk to Maggie and make sure she and Franklin were okay. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake as he dialed Maggie's cell phone number.

Maggie didn't recognize the number on her cell phone.

"Ned?" she showed the number to Dorneget.

"I'll answer it." Dorneget took the phone from Maggie. "Hello?"

"Dorneget, it's Gibbs, let me talk to my wife."

Dorneget handed Maggie the phone. "It's Gibbs."

Maggie took the phone and walked into the bedroom for privacy.

"Hey." Maggie sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey." Gibbs replied. "Everything okay there?"

"Right as rain; which it actually is." Maggie wasn't sure how secure the line was but knew Gibbs wouldn't risk the phone call if the line wasn't.

"I miss you both."

"We miss you too."

"It shouldn't be much longer, but I want you to do me a favor."

"Okay." Maggie wasn't sure she was going to like the favor.

"Make sure Dorneget gives you the extra gun I told Vance to send."

"Gibbs…"

"Maggie; please. You don't have to carry it, just put it someplace safe and make sure you know where it is."

"You really think I'll need it?"

"No. But just in case. This … I'd just feel better."

Gibbs looked at his watch, McGee told him to make the call short just to be sure.

"I have to go. I love you both." Gibbs told Maggie.

"We love you too.." Maggie didn't get the entire sentence out. Gibbs had ended the call. Tears sprang to her eyes. She knew he was just doing his job, keeping the call short and keeping it hard to trace the call, but all the same, she still hated all of this.

Gibbs looked down at the sat phone in his hands. There was so much more he wanted to say; to ask. Did Franklin like the cabin? What did he say when he saw the dock? Did she show him the tree he thought would make a great spot for a tree house? But he knew he couldn't and he knew Maggie knew that too. The night before he left the last time, the two of them had lay awake in bed talking. Gibbs told her that while he was away on assignment, especially one that could be dangerous; he would not be calling home. That was his way of making sure she and Franklin would be safe. If he did call, the call would be short and conversation would be to the point to help keep things simple and safe. Gibbs took his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out the picture he kept tucked inside. The picture was taken on Franklin's first day of pre-school a few months ago. Franklin had on a pair of blue shorts, a white tee-shirt with Thomas the Tank Engine on it, his white sneakers and a Thomas lunch box in his hand. Maggie knelt down on one side of him, her arms circling Franklin. Franklin had his mother's smile, but he had Gibbs eyes. Gibbs wanted to get this over and done and get back home.

"This is a nice place you have here Madison." Tony stood in the living room and looked around. Madison furnished the place in typical tropical chic, Tony thought. There was lots of bamboo and light linen covered furniture, glass topped tables with tropical flowers in vases.

"Thank you. I've just done some redecorating." Madison handed Tony his drink and gestured for him to sit down.

"New house?"

"No, it belonged to someone else before, but he's no longer here." Madison said coyly.

"Ex?"

"You could say that. He's going to be gone for a long time and I got tired of looking at his choice of furnishings."

"Have you lived here on the island a long time?" Tony sipped his drink again.

Madison started to answer, but her phone rang. "Please excuse me a moment." She told him and took her phone into the other room. Tony took the opportunity to look around the room. There were pictures on the piano near the French doors leading to the patio. The pictures showed Madison in various professionally done photos.

"Great what Photoshop can do." Tony said to himself. He continued to look at the pictures and was shocked to see one of Gibbs buried among the pictures. He leaned in to look closer and saw that it was one of Gibbs and Madison taken during their days at NIS.

"Gibbs' going to hate this." Tony thought and then his eyes caught the image of a young boy in a frame, he looked closer and his own eyes grew wide. The picture was of Franklin and taken recently since Franklin had a backpack on.

"Isn't he beautiful? He has his father's eyes." Madison reappeared at Tony's side with a bottle of the wine they were drinking. She poured more wine into Tony's glass.

"Who is he?" Tony tried to keep his voice even and hide the anger in it. This woman was beyond a nut job. She had Franklin's picture in a frame like she knew the kid.

Madison watched as Tony took a sip of the wine before answering.

"He's your nephew Agent DiNozzo, Franklin Gibbs."

Tony felt his mind going fuzzy. He dropped the glass of wine. Why didn't he ever listen to McGee on how to fake drink? No, he had to really take a drink of the wine she had obviously just drugged.

"Wha…." Tony tried to stand upright and get out of the room, but the drug in wine was taking over fast. A man joined them in the room. Tony looked over at him and even through the haziness; he recognized the bald head and the eye patch. "Kort." Tony said before passing out on the floor.

Ziva stayed in her rental car down the street from Madison's home. They had located Tony's rental and his cell phone hours before. As far as they knew, Tony was in Madison's home, doing what; Ziva did not want to guess.

"Anything?" McGee asked as he got back into the car. Gibbs was walking around the neighborhood trying to see how close he could get to the house.

"A car went in about an hour ago and nothing in or out since then."

"Do you think Kort was in the car?" McGee picked up his binoculars and zoomed in for a better view.

"I do not know. The windows were darkened." Ziva sounded irritated.

"I'm sure Tony's fine. Gibbs wouldn't have allowed him to go in if he thought there was a problem.

Tony felt his body being lifted and dropped roughly onto a padded surface that lurched as his captors moved away from him. He fought to open his eyes, but they felt like they were super glued closed. Voices around him were hard to identify. Then the sound of an engine roaring to life and Tony knew he was on Madison's boat. Tony's hands were bound behind him at the wrists. He moved them slowly in an effort to reach his watch. After what felt like an eternity he was able to get his thumb against the side of the watch and press the button on it.

McGee's phone started to ping. He clicked on the GPS app.

"Tony pressed the SOS button on his watch." McGee tapped the app again. "He's moving."

"Where?" Ziva looked at the gates in front of the house. "I do not see anyone leaving."

"Um. He's leaving out in front of the house." McGee.

Gibbs walked back to the car. "Anything?"

"Tony's moving by boat."

"Let's go."

The three agents moved quickly to the house. The gate was left open enough for them to walk through.

"This could be a trap." Ziva commented.

The sound of a gun being fired had the three agents drawing their weapons as they moved closer to the front door. Gibbs motioned McGee and Ziva to go around one side of the door and he went to the other. The front door was unlocked. The three agents moved into the house slowly from the front door through to the living room. On the floor they found Trent Kort lying with a gunshot wound to the stomach.

Gibbs bent down to check on Kort. The wound was bad, but Kort would live.

"Gibbs." Kort grabbed Gibbs' arm. "She has DiNozzo."

"Ziva call the local LEOs." Gibbs ordered and turned his attention back to Kort. "Where is she taking him?"

Kort didn't answer, he lost consciousness.

"Boss, you may want to see this." McGee said from over by the piano.

Gibbs walked over to see McGee pointing at Franklin's picture in a frame.


	20. Chapter 20

Tony slowly came too and regained his senses. He was lying down on a couch, his hands tied in front of him now. Blinking his eyes he realized he was on a small plane; a Gulf Stream. He recognized the features from the last time he was on one.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Agent DiNozzo."

Tony turned his head to see Madison sitting in a leather chair across from him. She was no longer dressed in tropical beach wear, but had switched to all black leather.

"You're looking very Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft." Tony said sarcastically as he slowly sat up. The drugs still stem and played havoc with his system as he fought the urge to vomit.

"I think I do this much better than Angelina Jolie." Madison preened. "Don't you think?"

"What I think is you are a few French fries short of a Happy Meal lady."

"That's what Kort thought too. Would you like me to do the same to you as I did to him?"

"And what was that?" Tony played along.

"I shot Agent Kort and left him for dead."

Tony wondered where Kort had slithered off to. He wasn't surprised that Kort was involved in all this. He was a bad penny that kept turning up in cases that involved psychos.

"So you know I'm an NCIS agent and Kort is an agent for …." Tony began.

"Does it really matter what I know?" Madison cut Tony off. "All that matters is that I am smarter than any of these agents that come after me. I'm going to show them all just how smart I am."

"By 'them'; you're talking about Gibbs aren't you?" Tony commented.

"The great Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He made me who I am today." Madison smiled broadly revealing blindingly white teeth.

"I doubt that." Tony answered sarcastically. "You were warped long before Gibbs came into the scene."

"Is that what Gibbs told you? That I was a mistake?" Madison laughed. "No, he made the mistake. He married that woman and then made sure that I was driven from NIS."

"You did that all by yourself lady. Stabbing Gibbs and leaving him for dead on the floor of his basement got you tossed out of NIS." Tony reminded her.

Madison made a dismissive gesture to Tony. "All Gibbs had to do was tell me that he loved me, forgotten about that Diane woman and we could have been the greatest NIS team ever."

Madison stopped as a faraway look swept over her face. Tony wondered if she was thinking what things would have been like.

"Why do you have his son's photo?"

Madison returned her gaze to Tony. "Because that should have been my son. It should have be one of many children Jethro and I would have had."

Gibbs sat in his seat on the plane Vance arranged to bring the rest of the team home. McGee worked furiously to find a flight plan for Madison's plane but was not having any luck.

"Do you know where she will be taking Tony?" Ziva asked Gibbs.

"Yup."

Gibbs knew that Madison would be heading for Maggie. He looked down at the picture he had removed from Madison's house of Franklin. Madison had some warped ideas in her head and she still believed that there was a chance for her and Gibbs.

Before they took off from the Caymans; Gibbs had contacted Vance and put a plan in motion. He hoped it worked. They were a good 60 minutes behind Madison's plane. McGee was getting in touch will all of the private and public airports to see if her plane was landing at one of them.

"You think your plan will work?"

Gibbs nodded his head and hoped he was right.

"So tell me how you met Javor Misic? He was one of the dirt bags you were chasing when you worked at NIS." Tony asked.

"After my little…accident…with Jethro, I was on the run. BOLO's were out on me at every airport, train station and border. I was trapped."

"Understandable."

"And out of nowhere, I ran into Javor. Granted he had a gun aimed at my head." Madison told Tony.

"Lucky for you he didn't pull the trigger."

"Yes, lucky for me that he saw the potential of my offer."

"And what offer was that?" Tony wondered.

"With my knowledge of the arms dealers that NIS has been chasing and the information gathered, I would help Misic move up the ladder."

"And in exchange." Tony wanted to know what Madison got out of the deal; even though he had a good idea.

"And in exchange, Helen Madison died in every way possible and Madison Hellene was born. Misic paid for my complete transformation." Madison ran her hands over her torso.

"And you got to live the life you dreamed of. You had money and were out of the hands the law."

"Exactly."

"You also had access to set both Misic and Gibbs up last month." Tony sneered at Madison. "You wanted one to kill the other and hoped that Gibbs would kill Misic and then you could avenge your lover's death. Only Gibbs didn't kill Misic and now Misic is down in Gitmo plotting your downfall no doubt."

"Gibbs has turned soft since he married your sister. With her out of the way, I'll have everything I wanted."

"And my part in all of this?"

"You are part of Gibbs' family."

"The last woman who tried to take out people in Gibbs' family ended up dead you know."

Madison smiled. "She didn't know him as well as I do."

Maggie sat at the kitchen table. The only light on came from the one above kitchen counter. Vance had sent four agents to the cabin. The four agents stayed with Franklin.

"These guys are friends of Daddy and Uncle Tony." Maggie explained as she squatted down in front of Franklin. "I have to go back home to pick up some things and these guys are going to help you plan out how you want to build your tree house."

Franklin crossed his arms across his chest and pouted. Dorneget kneeled down next to Franklin and turned Franklin to face him.

"Hey Buddy, I had a tree house when I was little and it was awesome. Tree houses are guy things you know."

Maggie cocked an eyebrow at Dorneget but understood what he was trying to do.

"And these guys here;" Ned nodded over to the other agents. "They are going to be checking the trails around the cabin to see where the best hiding places are."

Franklin was still pouting.

"And tonight, we'll make s'mores and have hot dogs cooked in the fireplace. What do you say?"

"Kay." Franklin finally stopped pouting and turned back to Maggie.

"Will you be back in the morning?"

"I hope so." Maggie grabbed Franklin up into her arms and carried him to her car.

"Will Daddy be with you?" he wanted to know.

"I don't know honey, but he might. Then you two can get to building the tree house okay?"

"Kay." Franklin put his hands on either side of his mother's face and gave her a kiss.

Maggie had been back at the house for over an hour. Abby had given her an ear wig to use and there were microphones set in the kitchen and other parts of the house. Vance and his team were set up next door, the former Marine was happy to help in any way that he could.

"A car is pulling up in the driveway." Maggie heard Vance in her earpiece. "Be ready."

Maggie closed her eyes and centered herself. She heard the back door open and close softly. She felt the muzzle of the gun between her shoulder blades.

"Hello Mrs. Gibbs." A woman's voice said menacingly.


	21. Chapter 21

Maggie closed her eyes and centered herself. She heard the back door open and close softly. She felt the muzzle of the gun between her shoulder blades.

"Hello Mrs. Gibbs." A woman's voice said menacingly.

Maggie lifted her head up slowly and could see Madison Hellene's reflection in the window. Vance had filled her in on who Madison was and how unbalanced and dangerous she was.

"You have a nice house here." Madison moved the gun from between Maggie's shoulder blades and walked around the table to face Maggie. "I look forward to living here." She smiled menacingly at Maggie.

"Do you." Maggie commented evenly. "Where is my brother?" Maggie wanted to know.

"Ah, so you are aware that I have your brother? I suppose there are agents waiting somewhere close to capture me?" Madison looked around the kitchen. "It won't work. I'll kill Mrs. Gibbs dead before you can save her." Madison announced dramatically to whomever was listening.

"Yes I was told and no; no one is nearby to save me. It's just you and me here."

Madison made an unladylike noise. "I do suppose Gibbs will be here shortly to save you. That will make this all so much more dramatic."

"What do you think is going to happen?" Maggie tried to keep herself calm even though her heart was racing.

"I think Jethro will finally make the right decision."

"And that would be what?"

"He will chose me this time; either that or watch you die, very painfully." Madison grinned.

"And if he chooses you?"

"Then you can live, somewhat living, maybe paralyzed, or in a permanent coma. That way your son won't see you."

Gibbs didn't let anyone take the wheel this time. Ziva and McGee barely made it into the car before Gibbs tore off from the airport.

"What's going on?" Gibbs barked at McGee who was on the phone with Vance.

"Madison is inside the house alone with Maggie."

"Is she hurt?"

"No." McGee answered. "Vance can hear everything and so far she's only…" McGee paused.

"Only what McGee!" Gibbs was yelling now.

"She's threatened to kill or maim Maggie so you two can live at the house and raise Franklin."

"The hell that is going to happen." Gibbs said as he pressed the gas pedal to the floor.

"And Tony?" Ziva needed to know where and how Tony was.

"No sign."

"I noticed that you have a lovely barn out behind your house. Is that were Gibbs goes to hide from you?"

Maggie gritted her teeth; she knew the woman was trying to bait her to make her strike out at Madison, and she wouldn't do it. She would stick to the plan Vance had laid out.

"Gibbs doesn't hide from me."

Madison laughed. "Really, how naïve. He hid in his basement from all of the women he married, even ones he didn't marry. Do you know about all of them?" Madison leaned forward "About us?"

"I know about all of Gibbs' wives, all four of them. Yes. And I know about the ones that were more than just short flings." Maggie leaned forward, copying Madison's posture; "But he's never mentioned you. I guess that means you didn't rate."

Madison lunged out at Maggie and pistol whipped Maggie across the side of her head, knocking her to the floor. The hit was hard enough for Maggie to feel blood in her mouth, but not hard enough to knock her out.

Maggie could hear Vance's voice in her ear asking her to give some kind of signal that she was okay. Maggie lifted her head off the ground and looked up at Madison who was now standing over her.

"That's the best you've got?" Maggie smiled and received a kick in the stomach from Madison.

"I'll show you the best that I've got." Madison grabbed Maggie by the ponytail on the back of her head and jerked her up roughly causing Maggie to cry out.

Madison dragged Maggie out the kitchen door and roughly down the stairs. As they moved closer to the garage, Maggie noticed the lights were on inside. Maggie hadn't been in the garage since the day before she and Franklin went up to the cabin and she knew the lights were off. The lights being on meant that Madison had been inside and chances are so was Tony.

Gibbs slowed the car down when they got near his house. Vance told him where they were and suggested they park away from the house and come in from that side of the neighborhood. With guns drawn, Gibbs, Ziva and McGee crept into the neighbor's back yard and met up with the other agents.

"What's going on?" Gibbs whispered to Vance.

"Madison just to Maggie into the garage. We think Tony is in there too."

"Can we hear what is going on in there?" Ziva asked.

Vance clenched his teeth and didn't answer. Gibbs slowly stared at Vance.

"We didn't bug the garage. We didn't think this would leave the house."

Gibbs bit his anger down and looked at McGee.

"Can you get us ears in there?"

McGee shook his head. "I don't have the equipment here Boss. We could call …."

"Take too long." Gibbs put his gun back in his holster and stood up.

"Where are you going Gibbs?" Vance demanded.

"Time to put this to an end."


	22. Chapter 22

McGee shook his head. "I don't have the equipment here Boss. We could call …."

"Take too long." Gibbs put his gun back in his holster and stood up.

"Where are you going Gibbs?" Vance demanded.

"Time to put this to an end." Gibbs said as he moved down along the fence separating his and the neighbor's yards.

Madison had shoved Maggie into the garage and closed the door behind her. Maggie saw Tony lying on the floor next to the work table. He had duct tape across his mouth, his hands were zip tied in front of him and he was bleeding from a cut on the side of his head.

"What did you do to my brother?" Maggie bent down next to Tony and put her fingers to his neck to feel for a pulse. She felt it beating under her fingers as she moved her hand under his nose to make sure he was breathing okay.

"I duct taped him. Man likes to hear himself talk. All he does is talk. Must drive people crazy." Madison commented as Maggie looked at the cut on Tony's head. She wondered if he was out cold, but Tony opened his eyes and winked at Maggie. Madison was busy walking around the garage looking at what was in there. Maggie saw a knife Gibbs used and slipped it down to Tony under his arms.

"Enough family reunion time." Madison declared as she came back to Maggie and Tony and grabbed Maggie by the ponytail and jerked her back to her feet.

"What are you going to do with Tony?" Maggie wanted to know.

"Shoot him. He annoys me." Madison said matter of factly.

"Well he annoys me too sometimes, but I won't let you shoot him."

Madison and Maggie turned to see Gibbs standing at the garage door.

"I didn't expect you so soon sweetheart." Madison said to Gibbs who ignored her and looked at Maggie first.

"You okay?" he asked Maggie who nodded at him.

"Do you think you can just ignore me?" Madison yelled at Gibbs as she raised her gun to Maggie's temple. "How about now? Can you ignore me now? Now that I hold your precious wife's life in my hands?"

"Well you always were a lousy shot." Gibbs straightened his shoulders as he spoke to Madison all the while trying to see what the closest weapon was to him.

Madison grabbed Maggie by the hair again and roughly shoved her to the ground next to Tony.

"I wish you'd stop doing that. I'm really fond of my wife's hair." Gibbs said as he moved further into the room.

Maggie had landed close enough to Tony for him to quickly flip the knife open and cut the bands of the tie on his wrist. Maggie rolled over and looked Gibbs in the eye, quickly flicking them in Tony's direction hoping Gibbs would know that Tony was freed.

"I knew you'd come for me Gibbs, I just needed the right motivation." Madison ignored Maggie and Tony and focused completely on Gibbs. "Now all we need to do is take care of the loose ends."

"Like how?" Gibbs watched Maggie slowly get up.

"Well we can't be a true family with Maggie in the picture. She'll want to spend time with Franklin and I don't want you to be distracted by her."

"Then what is your plan?" Gibbs moved all the way into the garage while he watched Maggie move out of Tony's way. Gibbs thought she was giving Tony room to make a move and get out of the line of fire.

"Well if she's dead, then I have no leverage over you. But if I incapacitate her then I have leverage of threatening to kill her and you won't leave me and Franklin."

"You think you are going to raise my son?" Gibbs asked.

"Of course, I'd be a great mother!" Madison said brightly. "Who could raise him better than me?"

"I could." Maggie snorted as she shot her let out and kicked Madison in the stomach causing her gun to drop and skitter across the floor. As Madison bent over from the front kick, Maggie quickly switched her balance and kicked out her other leg behind Madison's knees and took her completely down.

"You picked the wrong mother to fuck with." Maggie said as she put her foot on Madison's neck. "You will never get your hands on my son OR my husband."

(not done yet. :-D One more to go.)


	23. Chapter 23

"You think you are going to raise my son?" Gibbs asked.

"Of course, I'd be a great mother!" Madison said brightly. "Who could raise him better than me?"

"I could." Maggie snorted as she shot her let out and kicked Madison in the stomach causing her gun to drop and skitter across the floor. As Madison bent over from the front kick, Maggie quickly switched her balance and kicked out her other leg behind Madison's knees and took her completely down.

"You picked the wrong mother to fuck with." Maggie said as she put her foot on Madison's neck. "You will never get your hands on my son OR my husband."

Gibbs was momentarily stunned at Maggie's actions but recovered quickly to bend over and pick up Madison's gun.

"Where the hell did you learn to do that?" Tony asked as he struggled to stand up.

"Mossad basic training." Ziva answered from the door where she stood with Vance, both of them had their guns trained on Madison.

"Maggie, you can move your foot off her now." Gibbs put his hand on his wife's arm. Maggie stared down at Madison and thought about giving her just one more kick, but Maggie was better than that. She stepped back and let the other agents take Madison away in handcuffs. Once Madison had left the room, the adrenaline that had been surging through Maggie quickly disappeared and her legs got wobbly. As usual, Gibbs was right there to catch her.

"Come on. Sit here and let me look at you."

A bruise was beginning to show on the side of her face where Madison had hit her the first time and Gibbs saw some blood at her hairline from the second hit in the garage.

"We're going to the ER." Gibbs told her.

"No. I want to go to Franklin." Maggie said as she looked at her husband. "I'm fine."

"You might have a concussion." Gibbs held her face in his hands, trying to keep his emotions in check due to the amount of agents currently in the garage with him.

"Two for one special Maggie." Vance said as he joined them. "You can ride in the ambulance with your brother."

"Tony!" Maggie remembered her brother. "How is Tony?" Maggie looked around the room for him.

Gibbs took her face in his hands again to get her to focus on him.

"He's outside with the paramedics. You're both going to the ER to get checked and there is no arguing."

Maggie looked at Gibbs and nodded. Her head was starting to hurt.

Gibbs drove Maggie's car back to the cabin. Vance had managed to get Maggie seen as quickly as he could so they could leave to be with Franklin. Vance had also called ahead to Dorneget to let them know Gibbs was on the way and they were being relieved. The doctor at the hospital said Maggie didn't have a concussion but would be sore in the morning from the falls and the bruising on her face. He'd given her a muscle relaxer to help her with the pain. Maggie fought taking them at first but Gibbs convinced her to take them and she would be able to sleep during the two hour ride up to the cabin. As he drove the darkened streets, he looked over at Maggie sleeping in the passenger seat. She had curled up one of his sweatshirts and put it against the window as a pillow. When they finally arrived at the cabin it was close to 1 in the morning. Gibbs thanked the four agents that Vance had sent and then told them they could go. One agent started Dorneget's car and waited for him to come out.

Gibbs walked over to Maggie's door and carefully opened it.

"Hey sleepy head." Gibbs said as he woke Maggie up. "We're at the cabin."

"Mmm Hmm." Maggie said sleepily. The sedative had really knocked her out. Gibbs kissed her on the forehead and moved his arms to pick her up and carry her into the cabin.

"Maggie okay?" Dorneget asked when he came to the door.

Gibbs just looked at the young agent causing Dorneget to rephrase his question. "I mean is Mrs. G. okay?"

"Doc gave her some muscle relaxers. Go get the bags out of the car." Gibbs nodded over his shoulder as he walked into the bedroom.

Franklin was curled up in the middle of the queen sized bed, his bear tight in his arms and Freckles at the bottom of the bed. Gibbs put Maggie down next to Franklin and pulled the extra blanket up over her. As soon as Franklin felt his mother's presence he scooted backwards to spoon into her and Maggie's arm wrapped around her son. Gibbs smiled as he motioned for the dog to follow him.

"Everything is right here Agent Gibbs." Dorneget told Gibbs as he picked up his own bags to leave.

"Thank you Ned." Gibbs walked over to Dorneget and put his hand on his shoulder.

Dorneget was too shocked to speak. He didn't think Gibbs even knew his first name.

"No problem Agent Gibbs. Franklin and Maggie…I mean Mrs. G are great people. I'd do this any time."

Gibbs smirked at Ned as he walked him out of the cabin.

"No offense Dorneget, but I hope you never have to do this again."

After Dorneget left and Freckles had taken a last trip to the tree, Gibbs walked around the cabin locking doors and windows. He thought about sleeping on the couch since Franklin was already in with Maggie, but his days of sleeping on a couch were long over. He changed into sweat pants and a tee shirt – it was November and the nights were getting cold; especially here at the cabin – and climbed into bed on the other side of Franklin. He lay on his side watching Franklin and Maggie sleep and smiled. His days as an agent were officially done. Vance would have McGee take care of any personal stuff in Gibbs' desk and have it brought to the house when Gibbs and Maggie got home. Gibbs planned on staying at the cabin for a few days of peace and quiet. No TV's, no phones, just the three of them alone. Gibbs could fall asleep tonight knowing Tony was fine. His injuries were along the lines of Maggie's, cuts and bruises but nothing serious. Whatever drug Madison had given him was out of his system completely. Gibbs' stomach knotted momentarily when he thought of Madison. How close she had gotten to his family. Of course it could have been taken care of differently, but she had to leave the Caymans and go to a place where she could be arrested. Unfortunately it had been their garage, but the end result was the same. She was in custody and he could begin the next part of his life.

Maggie woke up when the sun was fully shining in the bedroom. She rubbed her hands across her eyes trying to get her bearings. She remembered going to the ER, barely remembered the drive to the cabin or how she got into bed. As she moved out of bed, she did remember being hit and shoved to the floor more than once by Madison. Her shoulder was sore, her hip stung and her scalp was sensitive from Madison pulling her hair roughly. Her face was a shocker when Maggie saw it in the bathroom mirror. There was a butterfly bandage at her hairline where she had cut her head and the side of her face, near her right eye, was all bruised and swollen. No amount of makeup would hide this from Franklin.

"Right here Daddy. We need to put it here." Franklin had a stick that was taller than him and was using it as a tool to draw in the dirt.

"What are we putting there?" Gibbs watched his son make a long curved line behind him.

"A moat."

"You need a moat?"

Franklin and Gibbs looked over at Maggie as she walked from the cabin. She was freshly showered and held a mug of coffee in her hands.

"Yes Mommy. Tree houses need moats." Franklin stated as if Maggie didn't know anything.

"What kind of moat?" Maggie indulged her son and watched him finish drawing the line for the moat. She walked over to where Gibbs was standing at the base of the tree which would hold the future tree house. She gave Gibbs a kiss and turned to lean into him.

"Pudding." Franklin informed her.

"You want a moat full of pudding huh?" Maggie smiled to herself.

"Yup." Franklin was concentrating on his line, his tongue sticking out as he drew.

"Vanilla or chocolate?" Maggie teased.

Franklin looked up at his mother as if she had grown two heads.

"Chocolate." He replied.

"Come on Mommy, all moats are chocolate." Gibbs gave Maggie a squeeze.

"How does a chocolate pudding moat keep people out of the tree house?" Maggie asked her son.

"Ants." Franklin told her.

"Ants?"

"Ants go to the pudding and girls don't like ants so they won't go up in the tree house." Franklin reasoned to her.

"Even Mommy's?"

"Even Mommy's. Tree house is for me and Daddy and Jamie and Uncle Tony."

"What if Amira comes to visit. Can she go in the tree house?" Maggie asked.

Franklin put his stick down and walked over to his father. Gibbs moved his arms from Maggie and picked Franklin up. Franklin cupped his hand around Gibbs' ear to whisper something in it. Gibbs made a thinking face and looked at Franklin before nodding his head.

"Amira can come up. But she has to know the password."

"And what is the password?" Maggie asked.

Franklin and Gibbs looked at each other and smiled and together said "Semper Fi."

Later that night after a long day of planning the tree house, taking hikes in the woods and explaining the rules about where Franklin could and couldn't go, Gibbs sat on the side of Franklin's bed reading him a story. Franklin could barely keep his eyes open and was fighting off sleep to spend time with his father. Maggie left the two of them alone as she went about cleaning up the dishes after dinner. She loved the quiet of the cabin in the fall, the leaves on the ground and the stillness of the lake. But she was looking forward to summers up there.

Gibbs' arms around her waist startled her out of her day dreams.

"You must be exhausted." Maggie said to Gibbs as he nuzzled the side of her neck. "All of Franklin's running around and exploring must have worn you out."

"Nope." Gibbs said into the side of her neck. "That's your job."

"I think I can manage that." Maggie smiled as she turned in Gibb's arms and led him into their bedroom.

4th of July

Maggie sat in the Adirondack chair on the newly finished patio on the lake side of the cabin. They had finished the addition to the cabin just in time to enjoy it for the summer. The sound of the newest addition to the family waking up in her stroller made Maggie smile.

Keva Daliya Sullivan was now 8 weeks old and was a striking balance of her mother and her father. She had Layla's coloring but her eyes were lighter like Jamie's but Maggie knew that could change. Maggie looked over at her granddaughter in the carriage who was looking up at the sky and the trees above her.

"Does Keva need her bottle Grammy Maggie?"

Amira was staying with Gibbs and Maggie for the weekend while Layla and Jamie spent the weekend alone.

"Can you get me a bottle and the formula mix sweetie?"

Amira nodded and went into the house to get the baby's stuff. Maggie watched Gibbs and Franklin on the dock. Gibbs was standing in the water up to his knees and Franklin stood on the dock in front of him, water wings on his little arms.

"Ready now?" Gibbs held his arms out to Franklin. "On three…1….2….3…" Gibbs counted and Franklin jumped into his father's arms.

"Great job!" Gibbs exclaimed as Franklin who was wiping the water out of his eyes.

Franklin ran back up onto the dock and went to the next post.

"Can I try from here Daddy?"

Gibbs moved further into the water and put out his arms to Franklin to jump.

"Here's the bottle." Amira appeared at Maggie's side and sat on the wide arm of the chair as Maggie mixed the powdered formula with the water.

Maggie picked up Keva who was wearing a onsie with an American flag on it and moved her into her lap to start feeding her. Amira leaned her head on Maggie's shoulder and reached down to hold her baby sister's hand.

"She's so little." Amira commented.

"You were this little once too you know." Maggie kissed her step-granddaughter's head.

"Did you know me then?"

"No, but Grampy showed me pictures of you."

Gibbs had moved from being Amira's godfather to Grandfather and made sure that Amira knew all about Mike – at least the stories he could share with her now. Gibbs enjoyed the role of Grandfather to two little girls as much as Maggie did. She'd never had daughters and loved buying them girly things like clothes and dolls. Franklin wasn't sold on Keva yet since she was too little but had finally said it was okay for Amira to go up into his tree house.

"Amira, come on it's your turn." Gibbs called her down to the dock where he was teaching her to dive.

"Coming Grampy." She called out and skipped down to the water.

Maggie kissed Keva on the top of her downy head and watched her husband teach their son and granddaughter how to dive. Amira was a natural in the water and Maggie made a mental note to tell Jamie and Layla to sign her up for more instruction in the fall. Jamie and Layla had gotten married on New Year's Eve at the National Aquarium with Amira and Franklin as their "unofficial" attendants. The wedding was small with family only including Senior and Madeleine, Jackson, Tony, Gibbs and Maggie and some of Layla's and Jamie's closest friends. Senior and Madeleine had paid for the honeymoon weekend.

"It's the least I can do for my oldest grandson." Senior explained and no one said anything about it. Grand gestures for other people were not the norm for Senior and Gibbs, Maggie and Tony were shocked by it.

Gibbs started working as a trainer after New Year's and Maggie loved having him working normal hours during the week and home on the weekends. Almost every weekend from Thanksgiving on was spent at the cabin getting it ready for summer. Maggie loved how it turned out and loved watching Gibbs in the water, since he'd had more free time he'd actually been working out a bit more and Maggie liked watching the benefits of those work outs.

Gibbs worked his trainees hard and made sure they met his standards. He was a tough task master but anyone who trained under him had the bar set very high for them. Tony was the leader of the team and did an amazing job, campfire chats aside. McGee was offered his own team again working in the cyber unit in Japan, but turned it down again. Gibbs didn't understand why he had turned it down until McGee had announced his own engagement to an elementary school teacher on one of the local bases. Gibbs wondered if Abby would have been put out about the news of the engagement but it turned out Abby was the one who introduced them.

Abby's personal life was always an interesting topic when she met Gibbs for lunch each week. Gibbs told her she needed to get out of the lab more. He loved that he had more time on his hands now and encouraged Abby to find someone special.

"Gibbs; do you know how hard it is to find someone to bring home to meet your parents that they'll like?" Abby told him one day over lunch.

"Abby, your parents are gone." Gibbs said slightly confused.

"I mean you and Maggie, Gibbs. You're my parental figures. I can introduce a guy to Kyle or Luca first and then if they pass that test, they move on to you two." She beamed at him.

Ducky had written two books of his own. One was a forensic psychology text that was being used at a local college and the other was a book based on his own cases and was quickly becoming a non-fiction best seller. Ducky had even made a lady friend whom he brought to Christmas Day dinner at the Gibbs home.

No one doubted that Dorneget was going to fill in the 4th position of Tony's team but Dorneget and Tony made sure he knew he was the "probie" and never forgot it. But Tony also saw the potential in Dorneget and gave him room to make mistakes and learn from them; just like Gibbs had done for him all those years ago.

Ziva and Tony's relationship remained a constant source of wonder for Maggie. Neither one said they were involved with the other, yet they both remained unattached and Tony had stopped going on and on about other relationships in his life. Maggie wondered if there was something going on and Gibbs would tell her that they would say something when they wanted to say something, until then it was none of anyone's business.

As to Trent Kort, that was Tony's business. Kort had disappeared after he was released from the hospital. No one, not even the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security and any other agency Tony called upon knew the whereabouts of Trent Kort. But Tony was hell bent on finding him and finding out what the man's story was.

But that is a story for another day.


End file.
